A Look to the Past
by Super Comrade
Summary: The Force works in mysterious ways. And in one of those ways, it will bring two people back to their home, to a past they thought they left behind. The Light and the Dark are about clash once again.
1. Prologue

A Look to the Past

**AN: Ok, to inform my current readers, no, I'm not putting my other story on hold for this one. This is just a concept that has been on my mind and I just needed to get it out of my system. This chapter will serve more as a trailer chapter for what is to come in the future. When exactly, I'm not sure, but I'll definitely do it. You can count on that.**

**So, I hope you enjoy this introductory chapter to this story and look forward to it sometime in the future**

* * *

Prologue

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a great conflict between the Empire and the Galactic Republic with a lot of the focus being on the battles between the Sith and the Jedi.

Recently, one Jedi, who was dubbed The Hero of Tython for his great deeds, has met the Sith Emperor Vitiate in single combat and ended up slaying him, making him a great hero of the Republic.

Meanwhile, on the side of the Sith, an Inquisitor has recently risen to the rank of Darth and gained a seat on Sith council, dubbed as Darth Nox, keeper of ancient knowledge.

Unknown to them, the Force had plans that will bring their destinies together as they'll soon find themselves back at where they began.

* * *

On a single ship, in one of the rooms stood a man of an average height dressed in standard black Sith armor. He had purple hair, which people have mistaken for a hair dye, yellow eyes, a sign of Sith corruption, and he was currently holding a red Holocron in his hand.

He was in his private chambers aboard his ship, simply furnished with a closet, a bed, a table, and several chairs, where he studied the Holocron at the table, which was discovered by one of the teams he requested to search for any valued artifact or text of ancient knowledge. It appeared that they found it in one of the temples of Marka Ragnos, one of the most powerful Sith Lords of old. And he was honestly giddy with excitement to see what secrets it contained. He was currently studying a way to translate the encryption put on it. It was a challenge but a welcome one.

There was a knock on the door which made his head turn. He felt who it was, his apprentice, Ashara Zavros. "You may enter," he said before turning back to studying the Holocron.

The door opened and inside entered a young woman, a Togruta female of yellow and white skin color, blue and white Lekku and blue eyes. She was dressed in a grey robe, more akin towards what the Jedi wear than Sith, and a lightsaber strapped to her belt.

"How's your progress with the Holocron, master?" she asked as she looked over what the Sith was doing.

"The encryption is a challenge, but not something I can't overcome," he answered simply.

"I see," she said before taking one of the chairs and put it next to her master. "If you don't mind me, master. You pretty much know everything about my past, yet I know next to nothing of yours. Except that you were a slave." Her eyes slightly widened as she realized what she just said and the fact she saw him suddenly freeze. "I… I… I'm sorry, master. I should have watched what I said."

He then put the Holocron on the table, before giving a chuckle before turning towards his former Jedi student. "You worry over stupid things, I'm not that offended by that. You should know me better by now."

That caused Ashara to blush in embarrassment. "Well, it seemed like a sensitive topic."

Her master shrugged. "Well, it was for some time but I got over it after a while, seeing where that path led me," he said as his eyes glowed purple for a brief moment. "But since you're interested. I may as well clear things up." He then turned towards his apprentice. "Tell me, do you remember what my real name is?"

Ashara nodded. "Yes, I do. You told me your name was Loten."

"Yes, and as you've probably imagined, that isn't the name common to either the Empire or the Republic," he said as his apprentice gained an interested look on her face. "You see; I hail from a planet that is not under the rule of the Empire or the Republic. It is a small planet, and pretty primitive by standards from even over millennia ago, as the level of technology only extended to steam-powered aircrafts."

That made Ashara look at him wide-eyed. "Wow. That's… pretty primitive," she commented as such level of technology was a thing of long past.

Loten chuckled. "Why, yes it is. You can only imagine my surprise when I saw all this technology when I only grew up on such a primitive world. It took me a while to get used to it," he said. "But, back on track. On my world we also had an empire. That traits that I had were an indication of mixed blood, which made me more available to the slave market considering that foreigners were looked down upon from where I lived. One of the local nobles picked me from the streets where I lived without a home, begging for scraps. And I served him for years, endured harsh beatings at the slightest mistake, constantly reminded that I was less than human for carrying foreign blood." His fist started to clench in anger that he hadn't experienced for a long time. Objects in the room started to shake, making Ashara look around nervously.

But then Loten noticed what he was doing and calmed down which in turn made the objects stop shaking. "Sorry about that. I hadn't thought about it in a long time. I supposed some anger still lingered."

"Look, if you don't want to talk about it-"

"No, no, it's fine," he dismissed her concern before continuing. "Over the years my anger at him grew and grew, but I was powerless to do anything." He then gained a smile on his face. "That is, until one day, I felt a surge power coursing through me. Something I never felt before, but it sure felt great. One day, when he gave me an order, my anger boiled over. And I shocked him with my lightning. You should have seen the surprise on his face, but I was even more shocked. And exhilarated. I used my lightning to torture him for a while. His guards came, making me panic, but I then used the lightning on them. I continued electrocuting him until he was nothing but a husk of fried meat. And then I escaped his mansion and electrocuting anyone who stood in my way."

After that, Ahsara just sat there and looked at him. "Oh, I… I'm… sorry to hear that," she said as her empathy went to him. "If only you the circumstances were different; you could have been recruited by the Jedi."

Loten chuckled at her once again. She still saw herself as a Jedi despite being under a Sith Councilman. It was annoying and admirable at the same time. "Maybe, but we are where we are." He then started thinking for a minute before standing up and walking towards the window and looking outside towards the vastness of space, contemplating on his past.

Ashara looked at him confused. "Are you alright?"

Loten just stared outside the window, thinking about his home planet. He recalled that there were talks of something special on his world, something the noble that he used to serve under was discussing when he thought Loten wasn't there to listen in. He started remembering what exactly that was.

A smile started forming on his lips. This was an opportunity to study something that might prove to become a great benefit for the Empire and for him as well. His eagerness started to overwhelm him.

He turned back to Ahsara. "How many of the crew are still on this ship?"

Ashara blinked at the sudden question. "Well, me and Xalek are currently the only ones here beside you. The rest went on to do their own personal businesses," she said.

Loten nodded as he remembered that he did give them some time off. "Well, it will be enough," he said before walking towards the door.

Ashara rose from her seat. "Enough for what?"

He turned towards her and smiled. "We are taking a little trip."

* * *

On another ship located in another part of the galaxy, a figure sat in a meditative pose, eyes closed as he focused on the Force.

The figure was a man dressed in white Jedi robes, black gloves, and brown boots, his hood was down to reveal long hair colored in a darker shade of light blue and an almost pale skin tone. He was in his personal quarters, which was accommodated for meditating.

He was the Jedi Master Danek, the Hero of Tython, and the man who dealt a devastating blow to the Galactic Empire by killing Emperor Vitiate. An aspiring figure to many within the Republic.

He sat there, no signs of movement on his body as he opened himself to the Force. His body felt light, a warm feeling surrounded him similar to an embrace of a loved one and calm mind that felt the reach of the Force around him.

"Hey, you awake?" came a tired voice causing him to lose his focus and his immersion in the Force stopped, his blue eyes opening before her gave a sigh.

He then turned towards the source of the voice. It was Doc, a man with black hair and a goatee, the doctor of his crew, who was currently dressed in some sleeping wear.

"I was meditating, Doc. Is there something you need?" Danek asked.

"Not really. Just checking on you. It's really late and as your doctor, I need to make sure you get enough sleep," he added jokingly making Danek chuckle.

"It's fine, you don't have to worry about me," Danek said with a smile on his face. "You just go to sleep. I'll meditate some more and then I'll go to bed.

Doc yawned. "Suit yourself," he said before walking away.

Danek then closed his eyes and once again began meditating. His connection to the Force once again deepening.

_"You know, he is right. A lack of sleep can be detrimental to your health,"_ came an echoing feminine voice, a very familiar one to him.

Danek immediately opened his eyes in surprise and in front of him he saw a ghost of a woman who was smiling at him. Despite the ethereal blue color emanating from her form he could still make out her features such as the light blue hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a white kimono tied by a sash above a long-sleeved black shirt and black pants.

"Mother?" Danek asked in disbelief.

_"Yes, my child, it's me,"_ she said with a smile that filled Danek with a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. _"You have grown so much. And did many amazing things as well. I wish I was there to see it with my own eyes."_

Danek still looked shocked to see his mother there. "But… how? Shouldn't this only be possible for people familiar with the Force."

_"Do you remember how I used to meditate to handle the stress brought to us by our clan's traditions?"_ his mother asked making Danek nod. _"Well, I meditated because I felt a great source of energy that made me feel calm, which only after death did I discover was the Force. And I see you took on that habit as well."_

"Mother, I…" he was about to say something but it got stuck in his mouth. He stood up and walked towards his mother. As he stood next to her he noticed that he was almost a head taller than her, which he found strange since the last time he saw her it was reverse. He reached with his hand to touch her shoulder, but his hand just went through her ethereal form. He retreated his hand back as he gained a sad expression, only remembering now how Force Ghosts worked.

His mother also adopted a sad expression. _"I'm sorry, my boy. I also wish to embrace you, but I can't."_ She then smiled once again. _"But being able to see you and talk to you once again is enough for me."_

Some tears crept to his eyes. "I'm…" he stammered as few tears went down his cheeks before he smiled. "I'm happy to see you again, mother."

_"And I as well, more than you imagine,"_ she said as she seemed like she was crying as well but there were no tears visible, seemingly another side-effect of being a Force Ghost.

"So you were… Force Sensitive?" he asked as he thought about his mother in the past and her meditations.

_"Yes, though I didn't realize it at the time. But my connection was deep enough to have me transcend the physical plane,"_ she explained before her smile started slowly melting away. _"But, I'm sorry to say that I'm not here just to visit you. I'm here to ask something of you."_

Danek wiped the tears from his cheeks and eyes before gaining a serious look. "What is it, mother?"

_"Please, go back home,"_ she said as she seemingly gained a pleading look. _"She needs your help."_

Danek's eyes widened at that as he knew of who his mother was talking about. "You mean… she's alive?" he asked in disbelief.

His mother nodded. _"Yes, and she is walking a dangerous path. Her mind is poisoned by her father's teachings,"_ she said before clasping her hands together. _"Please, Danek, save her. You are the only one who can."_

Danek stared at his mother. He hadn't known that _she _is still alive. It was one of the things that made him think he was done with that world. Her being alive was something he was hoping was true but dismissed it as a desperate wish he had because he lost someone close to him. To hear that she was still alive was thrilling but from what his mother told him she is walking in darkness. And he is the only who is can show her the light.

And he is definitely going to try.

A determined adorned his face. "I will. I promise, I won't let her go down a dark path," he said causing his mother to gain a happy smile which once again brought warmth to his heart. "I'll make you proud."

"_You already have, my son. You already have,"_ she said as she slowly started to disappear. _"Oh, and master Orgus Din says told me to say 'Good luck, my student'."_ Then the form of his mother was gone from this plane of existence.

Danek grinned at those words, it really sounded like something his late master would say.

"I see you once again found yourself in quite an interesting predicament."

Danek then turned towards the owner of the voice and saw Lord Scourge, a male Sith pureblood dressed in black Sith armor, standing at the entrance with his arms crossed.

"So you saw?" Danek asked to which Scourge nodded. "And how much did you hear?"

"Enough to know of your situation?" Scourge answered. "So, what are you planning to do?"

"Simple, I'm going back to my home planet. I'm sure you heard why," Danek explained.

Scourge raised an eyebrow. "And you're not bringing anyone else?"

Danek shook his head. "No, this is a personal problem. There is no need for any of the others to get involved," he said. "I'll take a spare shuttle and go to my home planet. Inform the others when they awake."

"Are you sure you can do this alone? I sense there is more to this than it seems," Scourge explained.

Danek smiled at him. "I'm touched by your concern, but I doubt I'll need it. Believe me, my home planet doesn't pose that much of a danger for me. But I'll contact you if I do end up needing help."

"Very well," Scourge said. "If that's how you want it then so be it."

Danek gave him a nod before turning away and walking towards the spare space shuttle.

It was time to go home. And finish his duty towards his family.

* * *

**AN: And that's it for now. I hope the concept made you interested to see more of this story and let me know your thoughts in the reviews. Who knows I might get it done faster if properly motivated ;).**


	2. 1 Kill the Expectations

A Look to the Past

**AN: Well, this came earlier than I thought it would. If you are wondering why I'm uploading this instead of my other story, well, this scenario just would get out of my head so I decided to write it to get it out of my system. And since I did, I might as well give it to you so you don't wait too long for this story to be uploaded.**

**Now to reviews.**

**Dracus6: That will have to wait. This one interested me more.**

**And no, I won't include Darth Vader or Starkiller. One, they are thousands of years in the future at the time this is happening, and two, there is nothing for them to do in my story.**

**AnimeGoji91: Well, not sure about a harem. I honestly considered not to have any pairings but I'm having second thoughts.**

* * *

1 Kill the Expectations

Danek looked from the window of his ship at the planet he originated from. He traveled many light-years and had to refuel a bit, but he made it back after all these years.

The sight of the planet brought him a feeling of nostalgia, remembering the same view of the planet that he had when he left it and for the first time was truly exposed to the world beyond the skies. And seeing it again brought him some measure of happiness, despite the rough childhood he had on it.

It was a simple planet covered by oceans with a couple of continents over its surface. At first, there seemed to be nothing special about it. But Danek knew better. He knew of the animals that were more or less unique to this world, especially considering his clan used to hunt them, Danger Beasts. Incredibly powerful animals that could potentially challenge even a Jedi if powerful enough.

But now he didn't want to ponder for too long. He then stirred the controls to move forward toward the planet, which didn't have an official name since no one in the Republic bothered to really check it out. Even the Jedi master who found him had only done so because Danek had a strong pull on the Force that the master had a vision about him.

As he moved through the atmosphere in his rectangular-shaped space vehicle, he wondered where exactly he should put his ship. He definitely couldn't have anyone seeing it or else that would cause a lot of unnecessary complications, especially for the people who never saw such level of advanced technology in their life.

However, due to the small level of technology advancement that had meant that not nearly as much of the planet was inhabited by humans since greatly advanced technology is what increases the populations of planets. Thanks to that, there was no shortage of isolated places where he could land the small ship.

Danek then pressed a few buttons on a control panel above him which made the ship invisible. He then took the control wheel in front of him and pressed a button which caused his ship to move forward. He descended through the atmosphere, his amazement of such a thing and the views that followed long gone considering how much he did it.

He didn't move too fast so he didn't make the ship look like a falling star due to the re-entry into the atmosphere causing things to burn. However, once he passed enough he then sped up, his vehicle swirling through the air above the clouds.

As he looked beneath him, seeing he was flying above a huge forest with an even bigger grass field in front of it, his memories stirred up, remembering that particular forest. The same forest where he was found all those years ago, its location embedded into his head. A smile appeared on his face, as this was the place where his life changed for the better.

He would have stopped there but he wasn't sure if the ship would be out of human contact for long so he decided he needed a better location. But that forest meant he was on the right track. He moved past forest, going further north.

After a while a few snowflakes began appearing on his windshield. Several more of them appeared before his ship was inside the snowy weather. He looked down and saw many valleys covered in snow, trees with their leaves completely invisible with the amount of snow covering them.

This was the land he was searching for, the land where he grew up among his clan. Memories started surfacing, bigger than what he had in that forest. He remembered trailing through the many lands of snow, hunting for danger beasts, his parents teaching him, the many conflicts his tribe had with the rival tribes. The far North of this world almost began completely pulling him back to those days.

He shook his head, not needing himself to be lost in the memory lane for too long. He took a look at the scanners for any signs of life around him. There were some, but those were mostly from animals as his scanners pointed out. There wasn't any human settlement nearby just yet.

This was a good thing, he needed to find a place where he could land his ship that he wouldn't be noticed. As he flew he took notice of a mountain, a very high and steep one, so much so it would take a huge effort for people to actually climb it. Perfect, he thought with a smile.

He moved his ship towards the top of the mountain, approaching its snow-covered peak. When he arrived he saw some open space on top of it, just enough for his ship to fit. He floated above it before slowly descending the ship down, a few hatches opening to reveal supporting legs for the ship before landing down.

Once that was done, he turned the ship's cloaking system off and let go of the controls before standing up. He approached the door and pressed a button next to it, the metallic door hissed before sliding upwards and a small bridge descended to the ground. He felt the cold wind on his face, and the snowflakes that came with it, the wind making the Jedi robes he was wearing flutter.

Danek walked down the bridge, his feet touching the snowy peak. The door behind closed and the bridge slid back. The cold air and the snow didn't really bother him, with his people usually more used to living in the north than others, which meant he didn't need any special clothing for the weather. He did have some light armor beneath the robes but nothing too serious.

He then walked towards the edge of the mountain peak and looked down. The mountain was definitely high enough for his ship not to be noticed as there weren't many who would actually climb it.

Danek gave a smile before squatting and leaping down. He descended along the side of the mountain, the wind resistance pushing his hood off his head. He then channeled the Force through his legs before they touched the side of the mountain. His feet dig into the ground, leaving a trail on the stones behind him, and slowing his descent. He then began running down the mountain with great speeds. The wind resistance came back almost full force but that didn't bother as he ran down at the side of the mountain, with his robe flapping behind him.

He ran for about a minute before seeing he was close to the ground. He then stopped his running and jumped. He landed on the ground feet-first without too much of a sound as the snow muffled his landing.

He looked around and saw that he was surrounded by several trees but other than that the field was pretty much clear. He began walking through the snowy terrain, his memory guiding him through it.

* * *

Danek walked for a while, trying to find some sort of human settlement. He used his Force Sense to feel any presence of people, but the most he got were several animals. But that honestly wasn't surprising to him. The North was a harsh place and there won't be many people throughout it.

As he continued walking his force sense picked up something, many lifeforms gathered at a single area. He then headed in the direction of those lifeforms. After a few minutes of walking, he found himself looking downhill at a village. The houses were made of stone and wood, with chimneys letting out plumes of smoke, which wasn't a strange sight since he visited some parts of the galaxy where people still lived like that but those were mostly isolated.

He saw a house bigger than the other ones, and his Force Sense detected the most lifeforms within. He walked down the slope he was standing on and made his way towards the village.

When Danek got into the village he made a beeline towards the big house. He could see through the window people sitting on tables and drinking. A bar perhaps, he thought. He grabbed the doorknob and opened the wooden door. He could hear the chatter coming from the bar before many eyes turned on him.

Ignoring the stares he just calmly approached a man behind a big table, a bartender most likely, and sat on one of the wooden stools.

"May I have some hot water?" Danek asked.

The bartender, a man with black hair and mustache, just raised an eyebrow at that. "That's it?"

"My mind needs to be clear. Hot water will suffice for now," Danek explained.

The bartender just shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said before leaving. After a few moments, he came back with a glass of water. "So, what brings you here, stranger? And are you some sort of priest? That way of dressing is very peculiar."

"Well, I'm more of a monk than a priest, I guess you could say," Danek explained before taking a gulp of his drink. It was somewhat true as many people considered Jedi to be monks. "As for why I'm here, I'm actually looking for someone and I thought I could ask some questions here. We used to live here in the North."

The bartender gave a sigh. "Well, I don't want to be too negative but I might as well give you a heads-up. The person you are searching for might as well be dead."

That sentence caused Danek's eyes to slightly widen. "Dead? Why would you think that?"

"Didn't you hear about the recent invasion of the North?" the bartender asked.

Danek shook his head. "Sorry, I've lost track of what was happening here long ago after a headed south," he half-lied as he was curious about what this man was talking.

"Well, the Empire has invaded the capital of the North, and its general killed the leader of the Northern Tribes, Numa Seika. The casualties were said to be over four hundred thousand," the man explained causing Danek's eyes to go wide.

"Four hundred thousand?" Danek muttered just above a whisper. He has seen worse things, but to hear that number in a world such as this one that was incredibly high.

The bartender nodded, expecting such a reaction. "Yeah, buried alive in the ice thanks to the work of general Esdeath and her troops," he continued.

When he heard the name, Danek's eyes widened. He couldn't be hearing this right. She killed so many people? That news almost caused his heart to stop.

"Sorry if this shocks you, but I'm just giving you a warning so you don't get surprised if the one you're searching for ends up dead," the bartender said.

Danek just took his water and downed it in a single gulp. He honestly felt like he could use a stronger drink right now.

"Hey, you!" came a gruff voice next to him. Danek then turned to see a balding man with a beard standing there. He was dressed in some light armor and there was a sword strapped to his side. The man also sported some heavy blushing on his face, indicating that he was drunk. "You seem familiar. Take that hood off."

"Um, is there a pro-?"

"Take that hood off!" the man shouted interrupting Danek.

Danek had a bad feeling about this, but decided to comply. He took off his hood to reveal his pale skin, long blue hair and eyes. Then he heard several people gasp at him. Even the bartender looked shocked at him.

The drunken man was now glaring at Danek and his mouth turned into a snarl. "Oh, I see. You must be related to that bitch!"

"Look, sir, you're drunk. You're not thinking-"

He was once again interrupted as the man slammed his hand on the table. "Don't give me that shit! Even now I can see the resemblance between her and you!" he exclaimed. "And don't even try to tell me it's a coincidence. No one looks like her!"

The bartender decided to interfere. "Dorn, for goodness sake, calm down!"

The now named Dorn turned sharply at the bartender. "Don't you dare tell me to calm down! Wasn't your wife also killed by that ice bitch?!"

The bartender then looked at the drunk in shock after he said that. Dorn then turned back to Danek and looked at him threateningly. Several other men also seemed to join him as they began standing up.

Danek began to sweat. He could defend himself against them no problem, but he didn't want to hurt them. They were just people who lost something important. "Sir, I'm sorry for what happened but I mean you no harm. I'm just traveling through."

The man just showed his gritted teeth. "Oh, so you don't deny it. You are related to her," Dorn growled out as he began reaching for his sword.

Seeing this, Danek tried to reason. "Sir, listen-"

"Shut up!" Dorn yelled out. Several men came behind him, with their own weapons just ready to be drawn. "We don't want to hear any excuses from you." The man then gained a sad expression. "General Esdeath took so many things from us. My daughter, she was everything I had, the most noble soul in the world! It didn't matter to Esdeath when she impaled her body on a pike!" He then once again glared at Danek and drew out his sword. "And we'll be more than happy to make sure that she experiences similar pain."

Then the other men drew their weapons. Everybody else in the bar was tense, some even not sure how to react. Danek rose from his chair, showing that he was quite tall compared to them, and slowly backed away while the rest of them approached.

"Dorn," the bartender began. "Please, you have to-"

Dorn once again neglected listening to reason and went to attack Danek with his sword. Danek, however, grabbed the man's and swiped at his legs with his own causing the drunken man to fall on the wooden floor on his back with a pained grunt.

The other men were shocked at first but then looked at Danek with murder in their eyes as they drew their weapons. Danek, deciding he didn't want to fight them, quickly turned and ran out of the bar.

"Get him!" Dorn exclaimed as he began to rise up. "Don't let the bastard get away!"

The rest of them ran after Danek, screaming bloody murder. As Danek ran he looked behind him and saw those men chasing him. However, he ran faster than them, even without Force augmentation there was no chance for them to catch up to him.

Danek quickly ran out of the village, those men far behind him, and quickly made his way up the hill and further to make sure they can't catch up to him.

After a few more minutes of running, he stopped and gave a few small pants to catch his breath. He honestly couldn't believe it. He only recently arrived here and people were already calling for his head.

And Esdeath? Killing four hundred thousand people? It was honestly something he wasn't expecting. He knew she wasn't the most… stable person in the world, but he didn't think it would be this bad.

That also posed another problem for him. With Esdeath's deeds, he obviously won't be welcome in the North. The scope of what she did will obviously have reached almost the entirety of the North, which meant that people would also associate him with her. Sure there might be people who won't have a problem with that, like the bartender, but he also knew those people are far few. He was sure he would be met with resentment just like he was in the village. The people are still very emotional over what happened, no doubt.

He needed to get out of here. He won't be able to operate properly if people will constantly go after him. He didn't want to hurt people who are rightfully angry over the people they lost. That meant he also needed to relocate the ship. No use of keeping it in the chilly weather of the North if he wasn't going to operate from there.

He ran back to the mountain and jumped upwards. After several Force Jumps, he was back on the snowy peak. He reached into his cloak and pressed a switch, which made the door let out some hissing sounds once again before opening and extending the small bridge. He climbed into the ship and closed the door with a press of the switch.

He then sat in the command chair again and turned the ship's systems on. With a press of a few buttons, he once again activated the cloaking device, making him invisible. The ship then began floating, the legs of the ship back in the hatches.

The ship then turned around, before moving southward, away from the North. Danek left his land of birth with a single thought in his mind.

Esdeath, what happened to you?

* * *

**AN: And that's it for now. I know this isn't too much but I do hope you got a taste of the story. Besides, I didn't want to wait too long without uploading. And for my other readers, don't worry, The Stranded Barbarian will be updated next.**

**See you next time!**


	3. 2 Kill the Known

A Look to the Past

**AN: And here's yet another chapter that just begged to get out.**

**Okay, just to be straight with you guys, and I know this might come as a shock to you, but I'm not really a fan of Akame ga Kill. In fact, I'm more of a fan of its potential. The concept was great, following a band of assassins that weren't supposed to be heroes, but the execution was just poor. The characters say they are no heroes, but the only people they kill are a bunch of unforgivable murderers, sadists, and rapists. Most of the villains were over the top evil and exaggerated that it didn't go with the gray moral area that it tried to push and the ones that weren't like that were shown to clearly be on the bad side. It felt like it was trying to go against some cliches while being full of them at the same time. Plus some of the logic didn't make sense and the main pairing came right the hell out of nowhere. And that's a problem for both the manga and the anime adaptation.**

**Sorry for the little rant, but I just felt like I should share it with you. And don't be surprised if in the future I bash some of the ideas put out by it.**

**Now to reviews.**

**Revan the Edgelord: Well... that's a straightforward demand.**

**Dracus6: We'll see in the future.**

**While I might include pairings, I don't think it's going to be a harem. But who knows.**

**Well, that's not really within the character of this Sith. You'll see why.**

**Pyromania101: Yeah, so do I, but I used Nox for the sake of consistency. It's my weakness. And no, nobody is born evil. I do recall Najenda saying that Esdeath was born to kill, or something similar, but when people say something like that they don't mean it literally, just that someone is really good at that. If AGK actually means that, then it's one of the logic ideas I find silly. ****But her father was definitely a huge contributor to who she was in the future.**

* * *

Kill the Known

While Danek had his visit to the North, Loten Kallig looked outside one of his ship's windows, staring down at the planet below. A sentimental feeling started to come over him as he gazed upon the oceans and continents, remembering things he left behind to become Sith. It was honestly one of the things he never regretted putting behind him.

Well, perhaps there was _one_ thing about it that he regretted leaving behind.

"Master," Ashara called out behind him. She was tapping on the controls on a circular object in the middle of the room they were in, which was called a holoterminal. The circle of it was surrounded with keyboards, switches, and radars with a blue glowing disk in the middle. "It appears that Lord Marr wants to speak with you."

Loten gave her a nod. "Put him through," he commanded to which she pressed several buttons.

In the middle of the holoterminal the disk glowed brighter before out of it appeared a hologram of a towering man dressed head-to-toe in black and red mechanical armor, a hood covering his helmeted head and spikes protruding from his shoulders. "Darth Nox, what is your status?" came a mechanical voice from the man.

"I'm currently located just outside the planet's atmosphere. We haven't made contact just yet but we are ready to go," Loten explained as he looked at the hologram of his fellow Dark Council member.

"I see. Perhaps I called a bit early," Marr said as he crossed his arms. "But tell me, are you sure that this planet can provide the Empire with weapons suitable to fight against the Republic? From what you described, those people still use regular bullets and steel blades to fight. Ravage thinks that you made up those special weapons just so you could go see some familiar sights."

Loten chuckled internally at that, while his yellow eyes slightly glinted in amusement. That honestly sounded like Darth Ravage. The man wasn't really fond of Loten when he ascended to the seat of the Dark Council despite not being a Darth at that time. "Lord Marr, you know Ravage's opinion about me. I assure you that my reasons for being here are strictly professional."

"If you say so. Though, are you yourself sure about the existence of these weapons? Are you sure that's not just some gossip from a noble you used to serve under?" Marr asked. He wasn't the type who liked wasting time on meaningless rumors and hearsays.

"The noble I served under has worked in weapons smuggling so I think his words have some validity in them," Loten assured Marr.

"Very well then. I hope that your endeavors here bear fruit. We'll see just how helpful these weapons will be. With the Emperor's death we'll need something to strike back against the Republic," Marr said before the transmission ended and the hologram of him disappeared.

"What do we do now?" Ashara asked.

"It's time for us to descend towards the planet. Tell Xalek to get ready while I take the piloting seat," Loten ordered before leaving.

* * *

They landed their ship, which cloaked so the people from around don't see it, at some hills near a forest. Loten didn't want to waste too much time before going down to business and immediately set to go towards the Imperial Capital.

Right now the three of them were walking through the forest located near the Capital with Xalek included in their group. Xalek was a Kaleesh warrior, as shown by the bone mask that covered his head, with two tusks protruding from its sides, long ears that went through the opening of the mask and slitted yellow eyes. Another noticeable feature was that he only had three clawed fingers on each hand.

The three of them were also dressed in their battle gear, armor that was covered by robes. Hoods were put over their heads, mostly to hide their features with Ashara having a thicker one to hide her lekku. Each was armed with a lightsaber, though Xalek had a double-bladed lightsaber, unlike his two companions.

It was near evening as they walked through the forest, with Loten eager to see how the Capital looked after years of him being gone from there.

"Master, are you sure we should just walk into the palace?" Ashara asked as she looked over Loten who was walking in front of them.

"I don't want to waste time, Ashara. I came here to see those weapons for myself and see how they can be used in the Empire's favor. And this approach will help us do it a lot quicker if we become directly involved with the Emperor," he explained before turning back to Ashara with a grin on his face. "Besides, how exactly can they stop us? I cannot sense anyone Force-sensitive within a ten-kilometer radius from the Capital. Compared to the three of us they don't really have too many options."

Ashara sighed. She knew that Loten can be quite arrogant at times and with her Jedi training she didn't really like arrogance. But it is something she has somewhat gotten used to over the time she has been with him.

After a few minutes, they found themselves near the edge of the forest and Loten stopped walking, prompting the other two to respond in kind. From the naked eye, you could see that there was a clearing in front of the forest along with a massive wall. The capital was a huge city, compared to the cities of this planet at least, that was encircled by a massive wall, so high that you could only make out a few buildings that were built on higher places. Mostly the palace.

Loten knew that infiltrating the Capital directly could be done but the commotion would be bothersome to deal with. So he planned to sneak into the Capital and quickly make way to the palace to meet the Emperor. He activated his Force Sense ability to see how many guards were there. He sensed several lifeforms at some specific places on the wall, no doubt the sentries that were overlooking the field for any attackers.

He deactivated his Force Sense and began using Force augmentation for something specific. The two of his apprentices, sensing what their master was doing followed suit. And suddenly, the three of them disappeared in a burst of blinding speed. Using Force Speed it didn't even take them a second to cover the clearing before using Force Jump to quickly scale the wall. They found themselves atop the wall quickly but once again used their speed to disappear before they were seen and descend down the wall, landing without making a sound.

Loten then led them into an alleyway located outside the range of the sentry vision. It was a place he was still familiar with so he knew how to get around it. The place where they were currently located in… were the slums. And, as one could imagine, they didn't look too well compared to the Capital. The few buildings that were in a great condition were inhabited by wealthy nobles.

The three of them walked through the streets of the slums. There weren't many people outside as that was usually dangerous if it were nighttime. And a few that did see them would more than likely not want to be involved in any business they were a part of. It was a good place to walk relatively unnoticed.

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said your planet is behind the times in technology," Ashara commented as she looked around. "Even the slums on our own planets are better than these."

"That will most likely change soon enough," Loten said.

While they walked, Loten noticed one of the mansions on the corner of his eye. It was located across a massage parlor and it had three stories and was painted white. This was the mansion where he worked as a slave. And it was also the place he burned down with his Force Lightning when he made his escape. It would appear they rebuilt it.

He also looked at the massage parlor, remembering a certain blond girl from there that was pretty much the only positive thing in his life as a slave. He has never seen her since that day.

Passing that trip down the memory lane, he focused on his goal, infiltrating the Imperial Palace.

They passed the slums and found themselves in a better part of the city. Loten told them to be stealthier in here since they would be noticed. They made their way through the streets, passing many people and guards unnoticed. And with their speed, they found themselves near the palace. They quickly landed near the front door. However, they found themselves facing several guards who readied their weapons.

"Who are you?" one of them asked. "And what are you-"

He didn't get a chance to say anything further as Loten waved with his hand and pushed all the guards back the Force causing them to slam into the doors and walls behind them, knocking them out. He would have killed them but he didn't want to clean the mess.

"So this is it?" Ashara asked as she eyed the palace.

"Yes," Loten simply answered. "Now, let's make our presence known. From what I've sensed there is a meeting in the throne room due to there being several presences. We shouldn't keep them waiting."

Loten used a slight Force Push to open the big door causing them to move apart with a creek. The three of them walked inside after which Loten closed the doors.

The interior of the palace was decorated with armors, plants, paintings, and tapestries. Those showed how rich the palace actually was, however, to the three of them it wasn't that impressive since they've seen barons from where they come from with more rich decorations.

Several more guards came their way but nothing several Force Pushes couldn't fix.

Within the throne room, which also very well decorated in a similar fashion as the rest of the palace, several people were gathered. On the throne sat the Emperor, who was a young kid with green hair, dressed in royal garb with a scepter in his hand. Next to him stood a middle-aged man with long white hair and beard, and a very large belly, dressed in formal clothes and a fur coat. In his hand, he also held a huge chunk of pork which he was gladly munching on. That man was the Prime Minister and the advisor of the child Emperor.

In front of them stood a woman of above-average height, with long blue hair and eyes, and pale skin. She was dressed in a white military uniform of the empire and wore a hat with a cross sign on it. Another noticeable feature was a tattoo in a shape of the letter 'Y' and two dots below it, which was located above her slightly exposed cleavage. General Esdeath, the mightiest in the Empire.

Behind her stood several other figures, one of them a tall muscular man, who wore no shirt showing a scar on his muscular torso. He wore gray pants and black boots, and on his head, he wore an incinerator mask that completely hid any features on his head. He was Bols of the Incineration Squad.

Another figure was a young man with blue hair and eyes. He was dressed in a blue leather jacket, a red scarf, a white shirt, and blue jeans and boots. He was Wave, a soldier in the navy.

Next to Wave was a young girl with black hair and eyes, dressed in a sailor uniform with a red ribbon, black skirt, leggings and shoes, and red armguards. A katana was strapped on her hip. She was Kurome, an assassin.

Behind them was a young woman with brown hair and eyes, dressed in a green military uniform and boots with white leggings. A noticeable feature on her was her metallic hands, in which she held a small white dog. This was Seryu Ubiquitous, a member of the Imperial police.

And lastly, there was a young man with blonde hair that reached his shoulders and yellow eyes, dressed in a white coat over a black shirt and pants and white boots and a collar-like accessory around his neck. He was Run, a former teacher.

All six of them were a part of a group tasked with hunting a band of assassins known as Night Raid as well as deal with any rebel activity they see. The group was called, the Jaegers.

"So, general Esdeath," spoke the young Emperor in an authoritative voice, or as much as one that he could muster. "I assume that your mission went well."

Esdeath bowed her head in a show of respect. "It has indeed, your majesty. That secret rebel hideout has been wiped out by me and my Jaegers."

The Prime Minister let out a chuckle through his full mouth. "Well done, indeed. You and your team are the pride of the Empire," he complimented before taking another bite of his meat.

"Anything to bring justice," Seryu said with a smile on her face and saluting with her mechanical hand. Her dog barked in agreement.

"Why yes, yes, of course," said the Prime Minister. "Now then, I think this-"

He was interrupted by some sounds of commotion coming from behind the door. Everyone else noticed them as well and looked towards it. They heard the guards running towards something. One of them said "What're you-" before he was silenced as a pounding noise and pained grunts from the guards followed. Everyone got on guard. Those were definitely the sounds of an attack.

The doorknob slowly turned and the doors began opening. When the double doors were fully spread, they were greeted by the sight of three black-robed figures, with the guards laying on the ground unconscious behind them.

"Assassins!" The Prime Minister exclaimed, causing the others to glare at the trio and ready their weapons to protect their emperor.

However, the one in the middle raised his hands in a way that showed he didn't desire conflict. "Our most humble apologies. I admit, our entrance was a bit forceful but I assure we mean no real harm. All the guards are very much alive, and would just need to walk off some headaches."

The young Emperor looked in shock at the situation but quickly steeled himself, feeling safe with general Esdeath and the Jaegers within the throne room. "Who are you? What is your business here? If you are not assassins then what are you?"

The one in the middle gave a small bow, causing the other two to follow in his example. "We once again apologize for our entrance but it was of utmost importance that we meet you as soon as possible," he said in a respectful tone before rising up from his bowing position. "As for who we are, we are emissaries from the Sith Empire."

Everyone in the room looked confused before looking around to see if anyone else knew what this man was talking about. The young Emperor turned towards the Minister. "Prime Minister, what is the Sith Empire?"

"I've never heard of it, your Highness," the Prime Minister growled out as he glared at the three intruders. "If anything, that man is lying to catch us off guard. They are obviously some sort of assassins otherwise they wouldn't have fought our guards. That talk is obviously a distraction so they can get to their target more effectively."

Seryu gave the trio the most intense glare of everyone in the room. What the Prime Minister said made complete sense to her. "The Minister is obviously correct. These people are villains who aim to kill our Emperor! I wouldn't be surprised if they were a part of Night Raid!" she exclaimed before looking at her dog, who was glaring at the intruders as well. "Koro, let's kill them!"

As she exclaimed that she ran towards the intruders along with her dog, the man in the middle just gave a small grunt before extending his arms with his fingers outstretched. Lighting shot from his fingers and hit the unprepared Seryu head-on causing her to scream loudly in pain, with her metallic limbs only worsening the pain. The man then swung his hand to the side which caused Seryu to fly in the same before she hit the wall hard causing her to grunt in pain and fall on the floor. She twitched as some leftover lightning crackled on her body, Koro running to her side in worry.

The Jaegers, the Emperor, and the Prime Minister looked in shock at what happened. That action was completely unexpected as they never saw anyone do that before. Grand General Budo was able to control lightning but not in the way that man just did.

Everyone got ready to engage the three before the man spoke. "Enough! We haven't come here to fight," he said as his hand was still outstretched. "However, we will defend ourselves if you strike at us." He then turned to look at the young ruler. "Your Highness, be reasonable. Surely you would," he said as he's brought his hand back but made a sideways arch as he did so. "grant us an audience with you."

The Emperor looked at the trio, he was about to say something but he felt slightly lightheaded for some reason as if his mind suddenly stopped before getting back on track.

The Prime Minister just scoffed at that. "Ha! As if his Highness would bother-"

"Very well," the Emperor interrupted. "I will grant you an audience and hear you out."

The Minister and the Jaegers looked at Emperor in shock, except for Esdeath who was mostly curious about this, her face neutral this entire time as she assessed the situation.

"But… your Highness," the Prime Minister began, not believing what he was hearing. "Surely, you wouldn't-"

"I thank you, Your Majesty," the man said as he bowed his head. "And I assume you'll have your men stand down."

"Huh?" the young Emperor blinked before shaking his head to make the dizziness he suddenly felt go away. "Well… um… yes, I will." He turned towards the Jaegers. "Please, lay down your weapons."

They were still confused about what was just happening but obliged nonetheless. Those were the orders from the Emperor himself. Though, they were still wary of the three robed people, especially the one with the lightning. Esdeath just looked curiously at them, more intrigued by the situation than anything else.

"I thank you again, your Majesty," the man said before pulling down his hood to reveal his purple hair and yellow eyes, which made most of them feel uneasy for some reason. "Now, it's time for introductions. My name is Loten Kallig. I also go by my Sith title, Darth Nox. I am a member of the Dark Council, the current highest rank in the Sith Empire since the murder of our Emperor."

He was once again met with shocked expressions, even Seryu as she recovered from the lightning blast. This man really held the highest rank in his Empire? If that was true that would make him the most important person in the room right next to the young Emperor Makoto.

"Your Emperor was… murdered?" Makoto asked shocked to hear such news. Loten gave him a nod. "But… surely your Emperor had an heir to pass on the title."

"That's not how out Empire functions. Our Emperor was able to extend his life to live for centuries, negating any need for an heir," the man explained, getting further surprised looks. "But after his death, the Dark Council is now in charge of internal affairs and politics."

Loten grinned in his mind. So far, things were going smoothly. And while it was true that the Emperor was the one calling the shots, he hardly interacted with the Council or anyone else, leaving them to run the Empire anyway.

"Preposterous!" exclaimed the Prime Minister. "No one can live that long." He then turned towards Emperor Makoto with irritation clear on his face. "My lord, these people are obviously lying. We should just get rid of them."

Loten then visibly frowned. This man was really making things annoying. He heard of him even during his time as a slave. And this man is corrupt to the core, using the young and inexperienced Emperor to further his own gain. He obviously saw Loten as a possible threat if he proves his words to the Emperor since Loten would have more authority and lessen the Minister's sway over the young Emperor.

"I think we heard enough from you," Loten said in irritation and swiped with his hand, causing the pork meat to fly from the Minister's hands, surprising him, and landing on a wall. The others once again looked at him confused as he did something they didn't really see before, plus no one ever separated the fat Minister from his food. "Calm yourselves, it's just another ability I have," he said as he saw the looks he was given. "Now, your Highness. The Prime Minister already disrespected me too much." He then began putting his hand back, but still in a slight arch. "I think he should be quiet."

Makoto once again felt lightheaded but ignored it and turned his advisor, who was still shocked at the loss of his pork. "I agree, Minister. Be quiet for the time being."

The man came back to his senses and blinked in shock and confusion. Just what was going on with the Emperor? He never requested him to be silent. Why was he so keen on taking this man's suggestions?

"Now that that's over with, I'll elaborate more on our Empire," Loten said. "Tell me, what do you know about life beyond the stars?"

The Jaegers, which now included Esdeath, the Prime Minister and Emperor Makoto gave him questioning looks. He wasn't proposing what they thought he was, was he?

Wave, who along with the other Jaegers kept quiet since this discussion began to be more political, couldn't keep quiet anymore. "Wait, you mean aliens?"

Loten gave a small grin before turning back towards his apprentices. "Ashara, Xalek, take off your hoods." As if the people in this room couldn't be any more surprised, they were outright shocked at the sight of a Togruta and a Kaleesh as their hoods came off. Bols even let out a gasp at the sight.

"And for some further proof," Loten said before his hand found its way to his lightsaber. He took it and positioned it in front of his face. He then pressed a button and a metallic hissing sound could be heard as the crimson plasma blade came out of the metal hilt and the humming sound it emitted. Loten couldn't stop a grin forming on his face at their shocked expressions. He gave a few elegant twirls, increasing the humming sounds. "I assure you, you never saw anything like this."

"Unbelievable," muttered Bols out loud with the others inclining to agree with him. They saw some strange things in their lives but this one was just strange.

Loten knew that this got their utmost attention and made his words a lot more believable to them. This was a good moment for him and would bring him much closer to his goal. Sure, he could have just conquered them by force but he would like for things to escalate peacefully for once. He was a man who sought power and knowledge.

And now he is about to begin the study of something that had the power unique to this planet.

The Imperial Arms.

* * *

**AN: And that's all for this chapter. We now set up our Sith Inquisitor in this world. Hope you liked it.**

**See you next time!**


	4. 3 Kill the Meeting

A Look to the Past

**AN: Well, I was in the Star Wars mood for some time and managed to write this little thing. Plus, I don't want to keep the fans of this story hanging for too long. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Now to reviews.**

**Dracus6: I addressed this in my other fic but I'll say it here. I'm not familiar with Red Sonja. And I also don't really take story suggestions right now. I already have my own ideas.**

**Pyromania101: Well, no. Danek and Loten haven't interacted before. The way I see it, Esdeath developed her sadism eventually but no one ever did anything about it so she turned out the way she did. **

**Yeah, that scenario does sound a bit too cliche.**

**You'll get some, but not too many. I want too focus on his interactions with the characters of this world.**

* * *

3 Kill the Meeting

After the escapade in the North, Danek flew southward with his ship. His mind was still uneased over what happened. Those people were ready to kill him just because he was related to Esdeath despite the fact he has never set foot in the North in years until he went to that village.

He realized that his work here will a lot harder than he previously thought. He was honestly starting to doubt if he could actually keep the promise he made to his mother… No, he couldn't think like that. Things are never as hopeless as they seemed. He faced many seemingly impossible trials and won. This won't be any different.

But he did wonder how Esdeath would react when she saw him again. He honestly doubted she would warmly receive him. Especially after what he almost did to her father, who she looked up to.

Now he was located outside the snowy North and in the greener lands of what was called the Central region. He flew over a mountainous area where he looked for another place where could land his ship and where it could remain unseen.

He flew over a mountain range with some high mountains. He focused and activated his Force Sense to scan for any life. He found some but it was mostly some wildlife, with seemingly no humans around. He found some flatland on it, flew there and landed on the rocky surface. He turned off the cloaking device, letting nature once again to provide concealment for his ship.

He got out of the space transport and looked around, also breathing in the fresh, clean air. He looked down below to see grasslands and forests beneath the mountains. It was honestly quite a beautiful sight.

He began thinking what his next move should exactly be before his ears picked up something flying near his location. He looked to his side and saw something soaring through the air before it passed over his head. It was a creature that appeared to be a manta ray with its fins spread wide as it flew.

An Air Manta? he thought. What was an Air Manta doing here? Their species' native habitats were located more south from these parts; this would be too far for them. And the direction it was flying towards definitely wasn't southward.

The logical conclusion would be that the Air Manta was tamed. Nothing too unusual since some people do tame them and use them for transport. He would have followed it to see if he could make contact with the possible owner, but he saw that the creature wasn't carrying anything. So either it already left off whatever it was supposed to carry or was sent to retrieve something.

Decided on what he would do, he went in the opposite direction of where the Air Manta flew, deducing that it would be the most likely place where he would find someone who tamed the manta. And hopefully, find someone who wasn't going to try and kill him.

* * *

He walked for a few kilometers through the mountain range, following the general direction from where that Air Manta flew from. With how high the manta was flying its destination was more than likely a straight line from one place to the next.

Danek found himself in the lusher parts, where mountains had more forests. He walked in one of those greener parts. His Force Sense detected quite a bit more wildlife in the area.

One of them appeared to take notice of him as a creature headed to his direction, also a flying one. With a great gust of wind, in front of him landed a huge bird, nearly three times his size. It had brown feathers, a long neck, and a long yellow beak.

The Danger Beast then spread its huge wings, lifted its head high and let out a screech that seemingly didn't belong to a bird species, no doubt an intimidation tactic. Danek just stood there, unfazed. Instead, he put up his hand with his palm outstretched towards the Danger Beast, and with the Force began using his skills in Beast Control.

The creature slowly stopped screeching as its mind was filled with calm. Its wings were back on its sides and head put down to be at Danek's level. The Jedi Master smiled before giving the now calm creature a pat to the head which the Danger Beast appeared to like.

"Sorry, my friend, but I can't have you attacking me," Danek said as he continued to pat its head. "However, I hope you don't mind giving me a lift." As if on command, the bird laid down so he quickly climbed up its back. "Thank you. Now I need a direction to go to and you'll only fly a little while."

The Danger Beast then rose up, spread its wing and quickly found itself in the air, flying in the direction where Danek was guiding it.

At one of the mountains, there was a building built into it, a place that served as a hideout for a special assassin group bent on destroying the evil within the Empire, Night Raid. With their hideout built into the mountain and the fact that the places around them are habitats of many Danger Beasts, this was a perfect place to be despite being only around ten kilometers away from the Capital of the Empire.

Within the hideout, which was still very comfortable to live in despite the setting, all of its inhabitants were located in one room for a mission briefing.

Sitting on of the chairs was a woman with short silver hair, a purple eyes with the other being covered by an eyepatch, and her right arm being mechanical, though bulky in design and painted green. She was dressed in a black suit, pants, and shoes. She was Najenda, the leader of Night Raid.

In front of her were seven people. A girl with long black hair and red eyes, dressed in a black mini dress and skirt with a red tie hanging from her neck, black and red gauntlets and black boots, with a katana sheathed at her side. She was named Akame.

Next to her was a young man with brown hair and green eyes, dressed in a white sweater over a black shirt and black pants, with brown boots and leather gauntlets. There was also a sword on his back, which was also his Imperial Arm, Incursio. He was Tatsumi.

Another was a girl with long pink hair tied into twin-tails and pink eyes. Following the theme, she was dressed in a pink dress, leggings, and shoes. Next to her was a sniper rifle of a special design. Her name was Mine.

Beside her was a curvaceous woman with blonde hair with two long turfs framing her face and yellow eyes, dressed in a revealing outfit consisting of a black tube top that left little to imagination, white sleeves, and pants. She was called Leone.

Another woman had long red hair and eyes with headphones on her head and a lollipop in her mouth. She was dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt under a black west, red checkered skirt and brown boots. Chelsea, one of the newer but experienced recruits.

Next to Najenda was a tall man with blue hair and eyes, with two horns coming from his head. He was dressed in a white robe over a black bodysuit and sandals on his feet. He held a weapon that was a combination of staff and mace. Another newer but experienced recruit, Susanoo.

Lastly, nearest to Najenda, was a young man with green hair and eyes, a pair of red goggles atop his head. He wore a green coat over a white shirt, red fingerless gloves with disks on them, black pants and brown shoes. His name was Lubbock.

Najenda took a smoke from a cigarette before addressing her team. "Alright, from your reports your last assassination missions went well. Once again, we've dealt some good damage to the Empire."

Mine smirked somewhat arrogantly before crossing her arms. "You bet we did. We're the best," she said with a tone that reflected her expression.

Chelsea then smirked teasingly at her. "Some of us more than others," she teased causing the pink-haired girl to glare at her.

"Here we go again," Tatsumi muttered under his breath at their antics.

Leone leaned next to Tatsumi's ear. "Come on, they look hilarious when they do that," she said with an amused grin on her face.

Najenda smile as she looked at her team. She wouldn't change them for anything. "Well, as I was saying," she began in a serious tone. "I'm sure you've heard of the religion called Path of Peace." Getting no confused looks from her team she continued. "Then I'll inform you that they're also major players for the Revolutionary army. Since their religion-"

"Wait," Lubbock said while raising a hand, making the others look at him. "My wires have picked up something. We have an intruder."

Everyone gained shocked or serious looks. They've just recently changed locations for their hideout, and they were already found? With the territory around them, they were certain nobody would look for them here.

Najenda's eye narrowed. "Everyone, you must go out and observe this intruder. If this person was able to pass the many Danger Beasts that inhabit the area, then you can expect them to be very skilled," she said in a commander-like tone. "And if that person is a threat, you have permission to kill."

"Yes, Boss!" most of them exclaimed before hurrying out.

* * *

They quickly found themselves in the woods surrounding their hideout, looking over the trail leading to it.

Tatsumi was adorning his Incursio armor, with a peculiar looking helmet which resembled a mask of some sort, a bodysuit with steel plates on his chest, shoulders, and legs, military pants with heavy boots. He was currently using Incursio's invisibility to hide from sight.

Mine was in one of the trees, looking through the scope of her sniper Imperial Arm, called Pumpkin, and keeping it on target.

Susanoo and Akame hid with their weapons ready, Lubbock readying the wires from his Imperial Arm, Cross Tail. Leone's form changed, now with longer and more wild hair, cat-like ears, a tail, and her hands were covered in fur and nails changed to claws, using her own Imperial Arm, Lionel. Chelsea stood at the back, only observing as she wasn't combat-oriented but she'll assist if need be.

All of them were observing a hooded man walked on the trail that led to their hideout. They found the robes he was wearing a bit strange, something people of the Eastern region would wear. The hood was making it hard for them to make out his features.

Leone, who was standing next to Akame, turned to her friend. "So far he is just walking. Is he really looking for us?" she asked in a whisper.

"We can't be sure," Akame whispered back as she observed the intruder. "So we stay on alert." Leone nodded at that. Better safe than sorry.

So far they only observed the man, as he didn't appear to have any hostile intentions, though the fact he was here did raise suspicion. However, once the man passed the invisible Tatsumi, he took only a few steps forward before stopping. He then turned slowly turned his head towards Tatsumi's direction, making the young man go on edge as he saw the man's piercing blue eyes. Was the intruder really able to see him?

The hooded man then turned away from Tatsumi, suddenly looking around him, making everyone even more cautious. It was as if the man was suddenly aware that they were around him. He then suddenly gazed into Mine's direction, making her tense, her trigger finger itching. However, she didn't have any time to fire as the hooded man extended his right hand and Pumpkin was suddenly yanked away from her grip.

"What the…?!" Mine exclaimed as Pumpkin found itself in the stranger's hands, who inspected the weapon.

Tatsumi looked shocked at what happened, the man extending his hand and Pumpkin suddenly flying into his hand. Tatsumi wasted no time getting out of his compromised hiding place and practically flew at the intruder. He pulled back his fist, ready to strike, but when he closed the distance and struck the man moved out of the way but not before grabbing Pumpkin with both hands and hitting Tatsumi on his helmeted head with the butt of the gun.

Tatsumi grunted as he felt the strike, being strong enough to leave a crack in his helmet, and the force caused him to fall on the ground. The man's hands then started to shake before he let go of the weapon, causing it to drop on the ground.

"Damn it!" Lubbock exclaimed, using Cross Tails to try and wrap the man in his wires, but the man performed a surprisingly high backflip, avoiding the circle of wires that was compressing around him.

Soon, Akame, Leone, and Susanoo came out of their hiding places and immediately charged at him, Leone approaching him first due to her being the closest. She was about to throw a kick at him the moment he landed form his backflip but the moment he landed he grabbed her leg, causing the woman to look surprised before spinning her around and throwing her at the other two, Susanoo got over his surprise quickly and dodged the incoming Leone, but gasped as he saw her heading straight at Akame's Murasame blade.

The red-eyed girl's eyes widened as she saw Leone flying in her direction and moved her sword out of the way so its poison doesn't kill her, but didn't move far enough as Leone's leg caught her shoulder. Both of the girls landed on the ground with a grunt.

Susanoo glared at the stranger before increasing his speed and swung his weapon straight at his head. The man moved his head away from the weapon but it flew past his head with such force the wind produced from the strike blew the hood off his head, revealing to them his blue hair and eyes.

Tatsumi, who recovered from that attack and looked at Susanoo confronting the intruder, looked with wide eyes behind his helmet as he saw the man's features. "Esdeath?" he silently muttered as he was reminded of the blue-haired general, even others were slightly shocked at his appearance.

Susanoo wasn't bothered too much by it as he continued swinging his weapon, causing the man to continue dodging biological Imperial Arm's assault. When Susanoo made a wide side swipe to which the man responded by making a front flip, going above Susanoo and landing behind him. Susanoo then quickly moved away so he didn't leave himself vulnerable to attack.

When the man turned back at Susanoo, he suddenly found his arms and torso wrapped by some wires. With a look of shock, he turned to see Lubbock some distance from his side, grinning at the now wrapped man with the wires being connected to the disks on his gloves. Behind him, Mine went to retrieve her gun.

"Alright Susanoo, I got him!" Lubbock exclaimed as he tightened the grip of his wires.

Susanoo was about to attack, but before he did the man clenched his fist. Just when Mine was about to grab Pumpkin from the ground, it flew away again causing her to gasp in surprise. The rifle quickly connected to the back of Lubbock's head causing the young man to yell in pain. The wires unwrapped from the man seemingly with a mind of their own.

Just as Susanoo was about to strike the intruder with an overhead swing, the man freed himself grabbed Susanoo's arms just before he finished the attack, surprising him. He then pulled Susanoo, swung him over his head and slammed him on the ground causing big cracks to appear as Susanoo grunted in pain.

The man quickly moved away from an attack made by Akame as she swung her sword at him. Once the man found himself standing in one place he found himself surrounded by his attackers, except Mine and Chelsea, and with Susanoo quickly recovering and going back into action.

"So," the man finally spoke with his eyes narrowed. "If you don't me asking, what exactly was the reason for this ambush?"

The people around him were baffled at such a question. "What do you mean by that?" Tatsumi asked. "Why wouldn't we do that someone who was attacking us?"

"Attacking you?" the man asked confused. "If I recall, you were about to shoot at me? How exactly did you expect I would respond? By just staying there and taking a shot to my head?"

The team then looked at each other. This man wasn't attacking them? Mine was at the back, about to retort but then she did remember that her finger was just about ready to pull the trigger when he turned to look at her so he probably mistook it for her trying to fire at him. The rest of them were still skeptical at the man.

"And why were you searching for us?" Akame asked as her blade was still pointed at the stranger.

"Searching for you? I have no idea who you people even are," the man said making them look at him in shock. "I never even saw any of you before."

"You… don't know who we are?" Lubbock asked causing the man to give sigh and relax.

"As I told you, no, I don't. I was walking here because I detected people in this area. I wasn't specifically looking for you," the man explained, no longer on his guard and his expression no longer narrowed.

"How exactly can we trust what you say?" Leone asked.

Susanoo got out of his stance and his face once again gained a calm expression. "He's telling the truth," Susanoo said causing the others to look at him in shock. "I can pay attention to someone's body language and vitals. He isn't lying," Susanoo elaborated.

The rest were surprised to hear that. They knew that Susanoo was proficient in many things with him being a biological Imperial Arm but they didn't know he could tell when someone's lying. But then again they saw no evidence against that.

They immediately got out of their battle stances. Leone losing her animal features, Akame sheathing her katana, Tatsumi's armor disappearing into his sword and Lubbock recalling his wires.

"Well…" Lubbock said while putting his hands on his hips and looking at the ground. "…this is awkward."

It was indeed. They almost killed a man for completely wrong reasons. And if he wasn't as skilled as he seemed to be they would have ended up killing an innocent man, causing them to feel shame.

Leone then looked embarrassed as she scratched the back of her head. "Uhm, sorry about that. I guess we were a bit on the edge."

The man, surprisingly, gave them a smile. "Apology accepted," he said.

"Wait a minute," Mine said as she approached the group, Pumpkin back in her hand. "How exactly did you get here? This place should be really hard to reach."

"Oh, I flew on a Demon Bird. Don't worry, I let it go free," the man explained.

"You tamed a Demon Bird?" Akame asked.

"For a moment. I just let it go," he said, making them wonder what he meant. What did he mean 'for a moment'? "But enough about that. May I ask who you people are?"

"I think it'd be best if you went inside with us," Susanoo said as he approached the man. "Lady Najenda should also hear that you're no danger to us. And it'd be best if we had introductions in there."

The man nodded. "Very well," he said before turning to the rest of them. "Shall we go?"

* * *

They soon found themselves inside the hideout. When they got to Najenda they explained the situation to her. As a response, she took a smoke to calm her nerves and sighed. "So, this was a misunderstanding?"

"Pretty much," Tatsumi answered, still feeling embarrassed by the situation.

Najenda then turned towards the newcomer, who reminded her of a certain general as well. "I apologize for the actions of my team. We've been extra careful about being discovered, and they nearly died the last time that happened."

"As I said before, apology accepted. It's in the past," Danek said with a smile before turning back to the team. "Though some more caution in the future would be nice." They once again looked slightly embarrassed.

"Why, yes it would," Najenda said before taking a smoke. "Though your presence here brings some questions. First, who are you? And what are you for?"

"My name is Danek," he answered. "As for what I'm looking for, well… it's actually a who. The person I'm looking for is Esdeath."

That name got everyone's undying attention since all of them knew who she was, some more than others.

Najenda got a serious look on her face. "And why exactly are you looking for her?"

"She is my sister."

Now that response got everyone in the room completely silent, standing there with eyes and mouths open, though Susanoo just looked shocked. Soon, there was a collective "WHAT?!" that permeated the room as they couldn't believe what they heard.

Even Najenda looked in complete shock, so much so that her cigarette fell out of her hand. Danek then brought his hand up and used the Force to telekinetically pull it up before it hit the carpet. "Whoa, watch it. We don't need the house burning down."

"You're Esdeath's brother?!" Tatsumi asked still not processing what he heard properly.

"Her big brother, yes," Danek told him.

"But… but…" Tatsumi stuttered. "She never mentioned you!"

Now it was Danek's turn to be slightly surprised. "Never mentioned me? You talk like you know her."

"He isn't the only one," Najenda said getting Danek's attention. "I worked alongside Esdeath when I was still with the Empire. And she never mentioned having any living relatives left," she explained before pointing to Tatsumi. "And Tatsumi here caught Esdeath's eye, he spent a good amount of time with her."

Danek turned to Tatsumi once again. "You caught her eye? How exactly did you accomplish that?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story," Tatsumi said before he began explaining what happened. How at a tournament which Tatsumi participated and won, Esdeath came to him and told him she was in love with him, before taking him to the Imperial Palace. When he got the chance he escaped but was found by Esdeath again eventually before the two of them were transported by an unknown assailant towards an island in the south lands, where Esdeath explained her origins to Tatsumi and after some time they were able to escape before Tatsumi gave her the slip once again.

"That's… an interesting predicament you found yourself in," Danek commented after hearing Tatsumi's story. "Gaining my sister's affection is really something."

"Please, don't mention it," Tatsumi said as his memories of that event were something he wasn't fond of. "But, if you are her brother, then why didn't she mention you?"

Danek gave a sigh. "Well, I'd honestly be surprised if she did. We haven't gotten along all that well when we were last together."

"What do you mean by that?" Najenda asked.

Danek then took a seat. "Well, you better strap in, because before I tell you about that, there something else I have to tell you that I'm sure you'll find mind-blowing and unbelievable."

So everyone else took a seat and looked eagerly at him. Each one was curious at what he had to say.

* * *

**AN: And we're finished for now. Danek has met up with Night Raid, gave them a shock bomb and is now going to explain how exactly he fits into this. I hoped you enjoyed it.**

**See you next time!**


	5. 4 Kill the Past

A Look to the Past

**AN: Alright! Here's another chapter to this story. I was actually planning on updating my other one but this somehow just screamed in my head to be updated. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Now to reviews.**

**Dracus6: Well, that MIGHT just end up happening (no spoilers).**

**Rhaast the Darkin Scythe: Well wait no more!**

* * *

4 Kill the Past

To say that Danek's day had interesting start would be an understatement. He followed a trail left by an Air Manta to somewhere where he thought there would be somebody who could give him some information about his sister. He used Beast Control on a Demon Bird to serve as his ride, detected some life signatures which were no doubt human, jumped off the Danger Beast and let it be on its way.

Then he saw someone pointing a rifle at him, with the finger really close to the trigger causing Danek's battle instincts to activate and use Force Pull on the weapon before it could fire. Then he was descended on by some really strange group that tried to kill him, one of which appeared to have feline features much to his surprise, and after a brief fight it turned out to be a misunderstanding.

And now, here he was. Within their base, hearing some things about his sister and finding himself requiring to explain his origins.

"So, just to give you a fair warning," Danek said to the group of seven who eagerly awaited what he had to say. "This might end really shocking you and probably make you doubt my sanity, but I assure you it's real." He turned to Susanoo. "Will you be able to confirm it?"

The tall man, or Imperial Arm, gave him a nod. Danek gave a sigh. "Alright then. Now, you are probably wondering why I haven't appeared for all this time despite being Esdeath's brother." That got him a group nod. "Well, it's because… I've spent the last decade… in space."

The moment he said there was a deathly silence inside the room. As he suspected, they looked at him like he had suddenly grown a second head.

"What?" Mine asked as her eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious."

Danek then turned to Susanoo. "He's telling the truth," he said. Just as the members of Night Raid thought that Esdeath having a brother was the surprise of the day, they were quickly proven wrong.

"So…" Lubbock began. "You've been… in space?"

Danek gave a shrug. "That's how it is," he said simply. "But I guess I should elaborate. You see, there are many worlds populated by aliens and even humans…" he then proceeded to explain some basics on planets, star systems, and galaxies. Then he explained how he was a part of the Galactic Republic who was currently fighting against the Sith Empire, and how he was a warrior called Jedi. All of that was really hard to for them to fathom.

"I… think I'm getting a headache," Leone said as she rubbed her head. "This is honestly way too much to process."

"That… honestly sounds awesome," Tatsumi said with a smile on his face. The idea of there being so many worlds with great advancements in technology, it all sounded incredible.

"Man, I think I need a smoke," Najenda said before actually pulling out a new cigarette and lighting it. "But I admit, it's also very amazing at the same time."

Danek gave them a nod. His reaction was pretty similar to theirs when all of that was suddenly dropped on him. His worldview was almost literally turned upside-down. Looking back he was honestly surprised how used to the wider galaxy he had gotten.

"Believe me, you haven't heard the half of it," Danek said as they still held those wondrous looks on their faces.

"You mentioned something else," Akame said, getting Danek's attention. "You said that the war between the Empire and the Republic was also a conflict between Jedi and Sith. Who are those exactly?"

"The Jedi are the guardians of the Republic," Danek said. "They are people trained to fight from a very young age and expand their knowledge and mastery over the Force. The Sith is similar, though they work for the Empire."

As they listened to the explanation, Lubbock then wondered about a single of that explanation. "Wait a minute. What you mean 'knowledge and mastery over the Force'?" he asked before Danek could elaborate further.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I should explain that as well," Danek said. He was surrounded by people who just knew what the Force was that he forgot that people on this planet have definitely never heard of such a thing. "The Force, I guess you can say, is an energy field that surrounds everything in the universe. In a spiritual sense, it's something that connects us and binds us together. There are people who could also channel the power of the Force and use it for many things. The Jedi and Sith both practice in the art."

"That… sounds like some kind of religion," Chelsea said.

Danek just chuckled before extending his hand. A single red apple floated into it. "Well, I'm sure you have proof enough. You saw me use it before when we fought."

Lubbock then rubbed the back of his head with a look of annoyance. "Yeah. Felt it too." That caused some of them to laugh at the man's expense.

"Sorry about that," Danek said with a smile. "But you were trying to kill me. You can at least acknowledge it as self-defense, can't you?"

Lubbock gave a sigh. "Eh, it's cool. I guess I can't really hold it against you," he said as his expression became a more positive one. "Well, people did say that I could be thick-headed," Lubbock said in a jokey manner but it didn't really make anyone laugh. "Geez, what a tough crowd."

"Sorry, Lub," Leone said as she shrugged with her shoulders. "You just ain't that good."

"You don't need to lay it on him, sis," Tatsumi told the blonde-haired woman. "He already has a big enough headache."

Leone chuckled at that. "Now that's a bit better. Take notes, Lubbock," Leone said causing the green-haired man to grumble.

Najenda cleared her throat, gaining their attention. "As amusing as this is, I think we should get back on topic."

"Sorry, boss," they said simultaneously.

Danek smiled at them. "I can tell you're never bored with them, are you, Najenda?"

Najenda returned the smile. "Why, yes, that would be correct."

"Right. Now, as I was saying," Danek continued. "Jedi and Sith are recognizable by one more thing." He then reached towards the metal hilt on his waist and hefted it in front of him. "This is a signature weapon used by both of us."

The group looked at the cylindrical object in his hand. "And what does it do exactly?" Chelsea asked mirroring the thoughts of her group.

Danek smiled before pressing a button on it, causing the signature igniting sound to be heard as an azure plasma blade extended top. All of them looked at it wide-eyed.

"Whoa!" came from Mine.

"That's just… I'm not sure how to describe it," Tatsumi said as he looked at the glowing blade.

Akame was more analytical at how she viewed the man's sword. It was definitely alien in nature as, even with the things like Imperial Arms, she wasn't sure if they could replicate a weapon like this. "And how does it work?"

"The blade is actually concentrated plasma. It is capable of cutting through almost anything, though there is material that can resist it," Danek explained. "Anything that it touches will be met with a lot of heat; any wound caused by a lightsaber would be immediately cauterized."

"That is… quite a useful weapon you have there," Najenda commented as she took a smoke. "It's incredibly destructive and it can be easily carried."

"Yes, though the Jedi prefer not to engage in open combat if we don't have to," Danek said before turning off his lightsaber. "While we are guardians, we still try to uphold peace. Therefore it's encouraged for Jedi to work more towards diplomacy, though the times of war certainly do force our hand."

Najenda actually gave a light chuckle at that. "You know, it's a bit funny," she commented. "Despite the fact that you are a member of the Partas clan, you are a part of the order that advocates for peace and diplomacy despite being trained to fight."

"Yeah, it's a quite a contrast, is it not?"

Tatsumi thought about what Najenda said. When he was trapped on a remote island with Esdeath she explained that she hailed from North where her clan, the Partas lived. She explained that they were a clan of people who loved to fight and hunted Danger Beasts. They were a pretty violent clan. To see a part of their own becoming a part of a group that focused on peace would seem unusual, though it was something that Tatsumi was happy to hear about.

Then another thought came to Tatsumi's mind. "Wait, that reminds me," he said gaining the attention of others. "You said you weren't surprised Esdeath hadn't mentioned you, and how you had a strained relationship. What did you mean by that?"

"I'm also curious at what happened before you were picked up and taken into space," Chelsea said. "You haven't really elaborated on what happened before you were taken."

Danek had a neutral expression on his face. He was honestly expecting this would come up but hoped to avoid it as it was a part of his life that he left behind for a reason. "You're right, I haven't," he said. "But I'll remedy that. I'll tell you how exactly I was picked up from this planet." He then cast a look at Tatsumi. "And fill the holes my sister left in her story." Once again, everyone's attention was on him.

"Well, you see, it really came down to me and my father…"

* * *

_A younger Danek walked through the snowy tundra of the North, pulling on a sled on which was bear-like Danger Beast was laid. Danek was in his early teen years, dressed in a white kimono shirt with sort sleeves, the cold not bothering him due to his heritage, beneath it a red shirt, black pants, and boots. He had a shortsword in a leather sheath and a knife. His body also showed some impressive build for someone his age, thanks to spending much time training and hunting Danger Beasts._

_He was on yet another hunt, alone this time, and found the Danger Beast and killed it fairly easily. It was something a man of the Partas clan should be proud of. The keyword being 'should'._

_He then found himself back at his village, which was a collection of larger tents made of white furs which served as homes. In the front of the village was a group of Partas clan members, butchering a lizard type Danger Beast. _

_One of them was a man with long blue hair, the same shade as Danek's, a short beard that went along his jawline, and blue eyes. The man was dressed in a white shorter-sleeved kimono over a black shirt, red vest, a bandana wrapped around his forehead, black pants, and boots. That man was Varen, chief of the Partas clan. And he was also Danek's father. A fact that Danek still couldn't wrap his thoughts around._

_Danek gave a sigh before pulling his sled over to where they butchered the large beast. "I'm finished with my hunt, father," Danek said with some lack of emotion._

_The man then turned around and cast him a glance before looking at the Danger Beast his son killed. "So you have," he said before turning back towards what he was doing before._

_Yes, that's how it was. Despite the fact that Danek was an excellent hunter for someone his age, he was still a disappointment in his father's eyes. Danek just then kneeled in front of his prey and prepared to take the beast's meat which will provide them with food._

_Several others looked at Danek with pity in their eyes, knowing full well the strained relationship the chief and his son had. Two of them approached Danek. "Hey, let us help you. You don't have to do this alone," one of them said to which Danek gave a nod. The two of them then assisted Danek in preparing the animal's meat._

* * *

_After that was over, Danek returned to the tent where his mother was. When he entered he saw her doing her usual routine of meditation, as she called it, as she was in a kneeling position, her hands resting on her thighs and her eyes closed. This was something Marena of the Partas clan picked up some years into her marriage with Varen. She said it helped her feel calm._

_A few moments later her eyes opened, and she looked to the side to see her firstborn child standing near the entrance. She gave him a smile before standing up from her position. She was a pretty tall woman, nearly a head taller than he was now. "I see you're back from your hunt."_

_"__Yes, I am," he said before approaching her and handing her a bowl with some cooked meat on it. "I brought you some food."_

_"__Aw, how considerate of you. Thanks," she said as she took the bowl. But before doing anything else she saw the distant look in her son's eyes. She knew full well what it meant. "Is your father bothering you?"_

_"__No. That would mean he at least acknowledges me," Danek said a frown became more evident on his face._

_The woman looked sadly at her child. This wasn't something a son should feel about his father. "Look, my boy, he is-"_

_"__He is what? What excuse are you going to come up for him now?" Danek interrupted. "Why are you defending him? Especially with how he treats you as well. He sees me as weak, for what? Actually about giving a damn about someone from our clan?!" Danek's voice rose until he was practically yelling. He then caught himself as he realized was letting out his frustration on his mother. "I'm… I'm sorry, mother. I shouldn't have yelled." As he said that he gained cast down look on his face._

_Marena then put her bowl down and hugged her son. "Don't worry, Danek. It's alright to be angry. We'll find common ground one day."_

_Danek thanked her for her kind words but he honestly doubted it. His mother and father were in an arranged marriage, which meant they hardly knew each other when they married. This caused their separate worldviews to clash, his father's of 'The weak die and the strong live' and his mother's of 'Everyone matters, even the weak'. They never saw eye to eye in that department since._

_And the reason he was disappointed in Danek was thanks to him agreeing with his mother over him, which came true when he helped an injured friend on his hunt for Danger Beasts. This was supposed to be his first hunt, something he must have done alone. But Danek secretly followed, knowing his friend wasn't a natural hunter so such hunt could get him killed._

_In his hunt, he ended up badly wounded when he confronted the Danger Beasts. Danek arrived, fought the beasts off and came back to the village, carrying his injured friend. When his father saw that he was disappointed, saying Danek shouldn't have interfered with the hunt and that his friend was weak and deserved death. Father and son ended up arguing, which ended with Varen saying to his son 'You are strong in body, but you have the mind of someone weak' and he walked off._

_His friend later had to repeat the hunt, but this time they made sure Danek stayed put. His friend never came back. His father gladly told him about it._

_They disengaged the hug and before they could say anything someone else came inside the tent._

_"__Mother! Big brother!" they heard someone call out. Marena smiled when she heard who it was and Danek turned around to see his young sister Esdeath standing at the entrance. From what he heard, Esdeath was a near spitting image of their mother when she was that age. She excitedly approached them with the energy of the younger kids had. It honestly brought a smile on Danek's face. "Good news! Father allowed me my first hunt!"_

_Danek's smile faltered when he heard that. Their father was allowing her to go hunting on her own? She was only twelve for Gods' sakes! What was he thinking? Did he want his daughter to die? "Um, Esdeath," Danek began. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. Why don't you wait a year or two? I mean, there is no need to rush things."_

_Esdeath actually looked shocked when she heard that. She looked her brother in the eyes as her expression became serious. "Why would you say that, big brother? This is a great thing! I can prove myself to the villagers and our father!"_

_That wasn't something Danek wanted to hear. Unlike him, Esdeath loved her father and would do anything to get his approval. _

_"__I can finally show him that I am strong as well!" Esdeath exclaimed as she began looking sad. "You even helped train me. You showed me how to properly handle a Danger Beast and harvest food." Her eyes were actually starting to tear up. "Are you telling me I'm not capable?"_

_Danek immediately leaned down and put his hands on her shoulders. "No, no. That's not what I'm saying. I'm just… I'm your big brother and I worry about your wellbeing. And this isn't training. Anything can happen out there." He then began patting her head. "You are very capable for your age. I would never doubt that." After that, Esdeath's happy expression returned._

_Marena smiled as she looked at her children. Seeing the two get along so well brought warmth into her heart. It was one of the things that made her not regret marrying Varen._

_"__Thank you, Danek," Esdeath said. "But as you said, I'm still capable. So I'll go hunting. Plus, father happily approved. I'm sure I can handle myself."_

_While Danek looked indifferent to that on the outside, on the inside he was cursing his father. He shouldn't be glad about sending his daughter in danger. Then an idea sprang to his mind. "Alright then," Danek said causing sister to beam at her brother's approval. "But, just in case, how about I-"_

_Esdeath's face suddenly darkened. "No," the young girl said sternly, interrupting her brother who looked shocked at what she said. "This is my test, brother. Mine alone. You can't interfere."_

_Danek was shocked to hear that. How did she know what he was going to say? He didn't need to think long for the answer. Of course, their father made sure that Danek wouldn't assist Esdeath in any way, too proud of his code._

_Marena, seeing the tension rise between the two, leaned towards Esdeath with a smile on her face. "Well, it's good to hear that you can finally prove yourself. Don't blame your brother for being protective of his sister, that's just how things are," she said as her daughter's attention was now on her. "Now go, my little snowflake. You don't want to keep your father waiting."_

_"__Thank you, mother!" Esdeath exclaimed before going out. She then turned back at waved at them. "See you after the hunt!" And with that, she ran off._

_Danek turned to Marena. "Mother, why would you encourage her?! This isn't like you," he said to her._

_"__Because it wouldn't matter in the end," Marena said in a somber tone as her son looked at her in disbelief. "Your father is the chief of this tribe and what he says goes. Your sister would have ended going anyway, and if you continued arguing you would just put a rift between yourself and your sister. I don't want that to happen."_

_Danek then started looking regretful. His mother was still looking out for them. Despite how they felt, Varen had the last word in this, and all she could do was minimize the consequences._

_"__I… thank you," Danek said before looking out the tent. "I'm just worried about her."_

_Marena put a hand on her son's shoulder for consolation. "All you can do now is believe in Esdeath. She will come back."_

_All Danek could do in that situation was nod, and wait for his little sister to come back and put his, and his mother's worries to rest._

* * *

_It has been some time after that conversation. Esdeath came back with a Danger Beast she was able to kill and everyone congratulated her, while Danek and Marena were overjoyed. And Varen was also proud of his daughter, who proved herself to be one of the strong._

_Several days after that, Marena went hunting along with some other clan members. And it was right about the time when they should return._

_Danek walked past the tents, eager to see his mother return back. Knowing his mother's capabilities she should be back very soon and he would wait for her near the village._

_But as he walked, he saw his father talking to some of the clan members. On closer inspection, he saw that it was his mother's hunting party, back earlier than he thought they would be. But his mother was nowhere in sight._

_Worry filled Danek as he began running towards the group. They stopped talking as they noticed him getting closer. When Danek arrived he didn't waste time asking. "What happened? Where is my mother?"_

_The three members in the hunting party looked sadly at him. "Danek, listen," one of them began, saying those words like they were heavy as stone. "Your mother… she-"_

_"__She's dead," Varen said as he looked at his son whose expression became a combination of shock and denial. "They were surprised by an attack from an Ultra Class Danger Beast. It killed her."_

_"__Your mother, she took on the beast herself," another began saying. "She said we needed to get out while she held it off."_

_"__We… we saw her…" the last one stuttered. "The beast. It…"_

_The man couldn't finish the sentence as tears welled up in Danek's eyes. He didn't need to be told anything else to know what happened. His mother was gone. Despite being so strong and capable the world took her from him, the one parent he actually gave a damn._

_"__You shouldn't mourn so much over it," Danek's father said, making Danek slightly gasp in surprise at his words. "Your mother was weak. She was killed by someone stronger than herself. While this is a sad occasion, that is just how the world works, and mulling over it is pointless."_

_Danek couldn't describe how angry he was. This man, he dismissed the death of his own wife as easily as wiping some dust off your clothes. Danek's eyes narrowed, his teeth clenched and his fists held closed tighter than ever before, his heavy breathing visible in the snowy climate. To think that such a person could exist, and the fact that such a person was his own father, was almost unfathomable._

_The three men from Marena's hunting party actually looked worried at the young man, never seeing him so angry before._

_"__Now then," Varen said, ignoring his son's anger, thinking it was something he would get over. "I'll inform the rest of the clan of this predicament._

_As he began passing his son, Danek didn't plan on just letting him walk away. With all the strength and anger he could muster, he punched his father straight in the gut, causing the larger man to double over and grunt in pain. The three clansmen gasped when they saw that but Danek then proceeded to give yet another punch to Varen's face, which held enough force to knock the man backward and make him fall on his back._

_Danek quickly found himself on top of his father, anger giving him a tunnel vision straight at the man. He wrapped his hands around the man's throat and began to squeeze, causing Varen to gasp and look at his son with wide eyes. "You bastard! I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!" Danek yelled as his grip on his father's throat tightened. The man grabbed his son's hands, trying to pry them off but Danek was surprisingly strong and all he could do was let out a few small pained gasps as struggled._

_"__Danek, stop it!" one of the clan members said before running over to them._

_Danek just ignored him. He wasn't going to let his father get away with those words. Then Danek suddenly heard something soaring through the air next to him. His instincts made him moved his head away as something sharp grazed his cheek. However, that lessened his grip, causing Varen to immediately throw his son off of him._

_Danek landed on his side in the snow some distance away with a slight grunt. He touched his cheek and saw blood on his fingers, showing that someone cut him. He then looked at where his father was and was shocked by the sight._

_In front of their father, who was now hunched over, gasping for air as he massaged his throat, stood Esdeath. She stood defensively in front of Varen, a bloody knife was located in her hand, showing Danek that she was the one who cut him. But what surprised Danek the most was the look of murder in her eyes, a look which was directed straight at him._

_"__Don't you dare!" Esdeath said as she continued glaring at her brother. _

_"__Esdeath, I-"_

_"__Don't you dare hurt him again!"_

_A few tears fell out of Danek's eyes as he saw how his sister behaved. And only now did he realize what he had done. This was a moment when he caused a rift between him and his sister, something his mother was afraid would happen. And now Danek accomplished it, with his own two hands. _

_First he lost his mother, and now he lost his sister._

* * *

_Almost two years later and things were only worse from there. He didn't face any serious punishment, as those three clansmen insisted that he was just a young man acting on emotions, as it wasn't uncommon for someone his age. The only consequence he suffered was that his father ordered that from now on he would hunt alone._

_And while Varen didn't disown him, he largely ignored his son. That was a part Danek could live with, but the one that really struck him… was Esdeath. After what happened, she treated Danek the same way their father treated him, by ignoring he existed._

_And that was the blow that struck him the most, and his father knew that. No beatings or anything like that would make Danek suffer. But being treated like that by Esdeath definitely would._

_And it did. For a long time, he hadn't spoken a word to his sister. Not for the lack of trying. Any connection he had with her was gone. And he blamed himself for it._

_Danek was currently coming back from a hunt. It was one of the things he did more often, and purposely longer than usual, as it was something that could get his mind off his situation._

_As he pulled on his prey, he saw something in the distance. It was his village, which was now on fire! And he could see that there was a fight there. His clan was engaged in a battle with someone he couldn't make out._

_He let go of his prey and ran towards his village. Once he got near he saw that the attackers were members of another clan. And they were slaughtering his people._

_Angry, Danek took out his sword and ran up to the nearest attacker before cutting off his head. Several saw him and began attacking him. They gave him some trouble but Danek was able to avoid, parry and counter their attacks, killing them._

_He ran into the village and saw his father engaged in battle with some of the attackers. Danek began fighting them as well but they were numerous and more prepared than they were._

_After some time of fighting Danek was panting in exhaustion as sweat trailed down his forehead. There were just too many of them. He saw that his father being overwhelmed as several of them impaled him through the torso, causing the chief to fall down._

_Danek looked around and saw his clan members being slaughtered, the snowy ground painted red with more blood of the Partas clan than their enemies. Danek couldn't believe it, they were all about to be killed._

_Danek then saw several of them ganging up on a woman holding her young daughter at her side, ready to spear them as well. Such sight brought Danek over the edge. He ran over there, with his sword ready and his hand extended. "Get away from them!"_

_Then something unexpected happened. A sort of pulse suddenly came off Danek, scattering the snow around him and extending so far it actually knocked the men down. The woman and her daughter looked at him in wonder before looking grateful and running away._

_Danek just looked in wonder and confusion. What the hell has just happened? He didn't do anything, at least that's what he thought. What was that wave that came off of him?_

_But while his mind is distracted by what happened, another invader came from behind him, ready to strike. Danek's battle instincts then took over again as he detected someone coming from behind him and currently slashing at him with a blade. He tried to move out of the way but the attacker's sword caught his right arm, slashing it right above the elbow._

_Danek grunted in pain at the sudden amputation, his body using its natural painkillers only doing so much, and his other hand quickly went to nurse the wound, which was now bleeding on the snow below. _

_The man who attacked him went again, more confident since Danek lost an arm which held his sword, but the young man was able to dodge the man's strikes. Danek then suddenly kicked the man's arm as it went for a strike, breaking a bone and causing him to let go of his blade. Danek then quickly pulled out his dagger with his still good hand and thrust it into the attacker's throat._

_While the man struggled in vain to live, Danek quickly looked around before he saw something he needed. He ran towards one of the burning tents and picked up a burning piece of wood. Gritting his teeth he put the fire straight on the bleeding wound, gave a heavy grunt in pain as it began cauterizing._

_He then threw the burning piece of wood away as it finished its job. With a more stable condition, he turned towards the man he killed and found him lying in the snow, with his cut off right arm next to him. He picked up his sword with his good arm and looked around, ready to face any more attackers, but he found none. The group he somehow knocked down was missing, along with everyone else._

_Perhaps they killed enough of them or they thought they damaged them enough. However, there was one thing that worried him._

_"__Esdeath!" he called out as he ran across the village. "Esdeath! Are you there?!" He ran through the entire village but saw no trace of her. "Esdeath! Sister, where are you?!" He continued looking around but to no avail. Many were dead, some were missing, and he didn't see anyone among the bodies alive. _

_Danek felt his heart break as he feared the worst. Just what has happened to his sister? Did she die? Was she taken away by them? Was she burned along with many others so he couldn't recognize her?_

_Tears once again welled up in his eyes. He couldn't believe it. He was truly alone from on. No family, no clan, his home burning to ash around him. It was all too much._

_He quickly ran away from the village, as he saw all the memories he had were being taken away by the brimstone, ash, and smoke. He couldn't stay here, so he ran. Not looking back._

* * *

_He was on his lonesome for a while, surviving as best as he could, though it was much harder without his other arm, which was actually his dominant one. Hunting became a bigger chore than it ever was, and the icy lands of the North could only provide him with so much._

_So he moved southward, away from the North, away from the snow, as even the snow's presence made his heart ache, being so heavily tied to his life and the life of his tribe._

_Once he arrived at the greener lands, he was already starving and thirsty, last few days of the hunt being unsuccessful. So once he found himself in the southern lands, where things were warmer than in the North, he immediately began searching for some different food. _

_The forest he arrived in unfortunately didn't have any food, nor any animals close by. But when he saw some squirrel or something similar he failed to hunt them with how tired he was. He also tried to search for some water but that also seemed impossible. It's as if the world was suddenly turning against him._

_So when he got out of the forest and into the clear fields, he just laid back with his back against the tree, dropping his sword to his side and hanging his head low, his blue locks covering his eyes. Why was he even bothering trying to live? There was nothing there for him with his family and tribe dead and his home burned to ash._

_He decided that it was enough; he couldn't keep doing this anymore. So he just laid there, waiting for death to take him in its inevitable embrace. Perhaps if there was an afterlife some people believed he would be reunited with his mother and sister, hoping his sister would forgive him._

_While lying there, he suddenly heard something. It was a sound he that couldn't exactly make out. It sounded like some sort of humming. And something seemed to fly through the air. What was it, some Danger Beast he hadn't heard of before?_

_That something stopped right above, and when Danek looked up his eyes widened. That… thing was something he had never seen before. It was made seemingly completely out of metal and was shaped in many strange ways; it was also letting out some lights from the front and back. Whatever that was, it definitely wasn't a living creature._

_The strange large object began slowly descending in front of him. It seemed to let out some legs as it landed on the ground with a surprisingly soft thud. He then saw the thing's… mouth? He wasn't really sure, descend down on the grassy ground below. Then footsteps could be heard coming from inside the thing, as some figure came out of the thing but Danek could barely make it out due to the light._

_The figure walked up to him, Danek seeing him, he was pretty sure it was a man, dressed in some strange robes and a hood. Then the stranger found himself standing above Danek, with the young man not even bothering to defend himself. Then the man crouched and extended his hand towards Danek._

_"__Don't worry. I won't hurt you," the man said in a comforting tone. "Come with me, this isn't a place to die."_

* * *

The members of Night Raid just stood there silently as Danek finished telling his story.

"Wow, that's… honestly sad," Leone said, breaking the silence.

Tatsumi shared the sentiment. He already heard the story before but Danek didn't just stick to the major points like Esdeath did when she told the story and went more into detail. He was sad to see how his family was crushed by all of that.

"Yeah, it definitely is," Danek said with a solemn look on his face before a smile came back to his lips. "But thankfully it all went uphill from there. My life became better when the Jedi found me."

"Well, after everything you've been through, you definitely deserve it," Najenda commented as she put out her cigarette. "But, you've learned that your sister is alive." Danek gave a nod to that. "Have you also learned what she was doing?"

"I… got the picture, yes," Danek said. "Regardless, I'm going to find her. Our family reunion will happen."

"Wait a minute!" Lubbock exclaimed gaining everyone's attention. "In your story, you said that your arm was cut off."

Danek just raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why he was making such a fuss about it. Then he remembered before looking at his right arm. "Oh, right, right," Danek said before chuckling to himself. "Sorry, I'm so used to it by now that I forgot."

Danek then grabbed the black glove of his right arm with his left, and pulled on the glove, removing it off his hand. In front of him, he now held a metallic arm which the group stared at. It was black in color with a slick design, some platings on it and visible joints. Unlike the prosthetics on their world, they could see wiring in it. He moved fingers for a moment, showing them moving as easily as they were real fingers.

"Ok. Now that's pretty cool," Tatsumi commented.

"Very interesting design," Najenda said as she examined the metallic limb. It was a lot less bulky than her own arm, and the proportions on it would match his previous one perfectly. And despite the fact it was metallic it didn't make any scratching sounds or metallic clanging which their prosthetic limbs usually do. "Though, I imagine it took some time getting used to it?" She asked speaking from her own experience.

"Yeah, it was. But these days I hardly notice the difference," Danek said before turning to Najenda with a grin. "But I guess you can attest that these things sure come in _handy_."

The joke just got him some silence from the Night Raid members, Mine even looking at him like he was some sort of idiot. Although Najenda did chuckle at that, being a sucker for such puns.

"Dude, you serious?" Leone asked.

Danek then began rubbing his chin with his prosthetic fingers. "Well, you kinda forced my _hand_."

That caused Najenda to chuckle harder as she raised her hand to cover her mouth. While the rest just looked at him somewhat awkwardly, Lubbock actually looked jealous. Him having a crush on Najenda didn't really like this man was now making her laugh, something he tried to do and failed.

Overreacting like usual, he walked up to Danek while glaring at him and looked straight into his eyes. "Alright buddy, listen up. I don't know what you're doing, but you'd better not be planning anything funny with Miss Najenda," Lubbock said in a threatening voice, which wasn't threatening for anyone else.

"And there he goes again," commented Chelsea as she put her hands behind the back of her head.

Danek just smiled, obviously catching up to the young man's jealousy. So in response, he jokingly put up both of his hands in defense. "Okay, okay, I get it. _Hands_ off."

Now that one got Najenda into full-blown laughter, which actually surprised everyone else since they never actually heard her laugh like that before.

Leone let out a small chuckle. "Okay, that one actually was kind of funny."

Najenda finished with her laughing and wiped a tear off her eye. "You know," she said as she let out a few more small chuckles. "I think I'm starting to like you more and more. I haven't had a good laugh in a while."

The moment she said that Lubbock began looking depressed. All he managed to accomplish was giving the man more pun material and now Najenda said she was starting to like him. Life wasn't fair!

"Well good to see at least someone is more appreciative of my humor," Danek said. Yeah, usually people reacted to his jokes like Night Raid did, totally unimpressed. Seeing someone actually laugh was a refresher. Good to see he wasn't the only one who liked bad puns.

"I guess then," Najenda began. "Since both of us have metal arms that makes us ampu_mates_." That caused both Najenda and Danek to laugh a bit.

"Oh dear gods, please let this not turn into a pun war," Mine said somewhat horrified at the prospect of the two of them having a back-and-forth pun contest.

"I don't think we would survive," Tatsumi said, similarly worried.

"I actually like to see master Najenda enjoying herself," Susanoo commented, not really bothered by all this.

"Man, now I'll never get my chance," Lubbock said downtrodden with his head hung low.

"As if you had any," Chelsea said teasingly with a smile on her face while she sucked her lollipop.

Lubbock then angrily turned towards her in response. "Oh, shut up you! What would you know?" He now began to see why Mine was so annoyed with her.

"Alright, jokes aside," Danek said causing almost everyone else to take small breaths in relief. "As I said before, I'm looking for my sister but I'm still not familiar with the state of this Empire or of the Rebellion you people have. Could you help me clarify the current situation?" The serious tone in his voice made everyone else look serious as well

"Very well then. I'll explain," Najenda said as she proceeded to explain how they are currently targeting a corrupt man in a religion called Path of Peace, a recent religion that opposes the Empire's corruption and its members were actually planning for an insurrection to happen. Having this man assassinated would ensure that the leader of the religion, simply called the Lord, would ensure their support for the Revolutionary army. With that, they would have enough troops to march the capital and take it by force. Though, Esdeath was one of the factors that may still put some advantage to the Empire.

"I see. It seems that your situation is quite favorable right now," said Danek. "And what is your next move exactly?"

"We were planning on luring out Esdeath and her Jaegers, but also separating them, so we could take out those who aren't with Esdeath," Najenda explained.

Danek seemed to think about it for a minute. He was usually someone you put in the front field when it came to battles but he also had tactical insight. Coming up with a plan, he turned to Najenda. "I think I have something that might be even more beneficial."

Najenda raised an eyebrow at that, and the others, who watched the two of them discuss the situation, also wondered what he meant. "So you propose a different strategy? Mind telling me what it is?"

"Certainly," Danek said with a nod. "However, I'll also need to know how fast you can contact your leader so he could be informed about it. And I'll also need some more information about these Imperial Arms you mentioned."

* * *

**AN: And this is where it ends. Now I'm sure many of you were wondering how Danek fitted into this picture and what was his story on this world, so here it is. I hope you didn't mind this chapter being mostly flashback.**

**See you next time!**


	6. 5 Kill the Negotiations

A Look to the Past

**AN: Well, here's another chapter of A Look to the Past. I honestly thought I would do this after my other fic but this seems to write itself. I hope you enjoy.**

**Now to reviews.**

**Dracus6: Dude, easy on the predictions. You'll have to wait and see what will happen.**

* * *

5 Kill the Negotiations

The next day after Darth Nox and his apprentices stormed the Imperial Palace and introduced themselves to the Emperor, there was a gathering within the throne room once again.

The Emperor sat on his throne, looking a bit nervous about this situation. If he was honest, the man calling himself Darth Nox scared him. The look in his eyes wasn't really a comforting one. But he had to steel himself, he was an emperor after all and he should look it.

Next to the boy was Prime Minister Honest, who actually looked pretty nervous if the somewhat frantic way he chewed on the piece of meat in his hands was any indication.

Esdeath was there along with her Jaegers, actually very intrigued by what was happening. This man, who claimed to have come from space, held great power within him. She had a good eye for such a thing. She gave a grin as she remembered the look of his eyes, having a similar sadistic streak she herself had. She was honestly looking forward to further developments. When it came to the other two, she wasn't sure yet.

The rest of the Jaegers had their own thoughts about the situation. Bols was nervous to see what will happen, Run was intrigued along with Kurome, who was now munching on a bag of cookies, Wave was excited and nervous at the prospects of the situation, and Seryu wasn't sure what to feel at this moment.

Nox, Xalek, and Ashara soon came into the throne room, though no longer bothering with wearing hoods this time as everyone knew what they looked like. The young Darth had a small smile on his lips, eager to finally begin the next stage of his plan.

"I'm sorry for the delay, your Highness," Nox, or Loten Kallig as he preferred to be called, said with a small bow. "But we had some… mess to clean up on the way."

Emperor Makoto raised an eyebrow. "A mess? What do you mean by that?" he asked, not noticing the Prime Minister looking slightly more nervous.

Loten gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Oh, it's nothing to be concerned about, I assure you."

"Um, alright then," Makoto said as his face became stern. "We have gathered here as you requested, lord Kallig. Now, yesterday you mentioned something about negotiations."

"Why, yes I did, your Majesty. You have quite a good memory," Loten complimented causing to the young emperor to blush.

"Oh, um, thank you," the young emperor said.

"These negotiations I mentioned are about your Empire becoming a part of our own," Loten said causing some of them to look surprised, the Emperor and the Prime Minister especially. "And for that, I have called for the gathering of the Dark Council."

The group looked surprised at that. The members of the Dark Council, from what Darth Nox told them, were the most important people in this 'Sith Empire', and they agreed to meet. Right now?

"So… when will they arrive," Makoto asked, the fact that he was about to meet with the leaders of another empire and no doubt more experienced than he was didn't help his nervousness.

"Oh, they aren't going to arrive here. They don't need to," Loten said and, seeing the confusion on their faces, proceeded to elaborate. "That is also one of the advancements of technology we have." He then pulled out a disk-like object and put it in the middle of the throne room. "This device can help us communicate with others in person yet the said person would not actually need to be here to do that. It is made to project a moving image of a person and make it appear as the person was here."

Once again, there was a look of wonder on everyone's faces. They were very eager to see what this was like.

Loten then turned to his apprentices. "You two, go stand next to them. I'll have to be here when this meeting starts."

"Yes, master," both the Togruta and the Kaleesh answered at the same time before walking toward the group.

The people dare stared at the two aliens. To actually be able to see them with their own eyes was still something very wondrous as these two were proof of something that was only speculated but never confirmed, and even outright rejected.

Xalek's eyes turned towards Wave, making the blue-haired young man slightly gulp as he saw the slitted yellow eyes of the Kaleesh now on him. After a few moments, Wave decided to speak up. "Um, can I help you?"

"You smell like fish," Xalek said causing the young man to slump his shoulders with his head hanging.

"Yeah, I've been told," Wave muttered out dejected causing Kurome to giggle at her colleague's predicament. It wasn't his fault he had been fishing most of his life.

Bols then turned towards the Kaleesh warrior. "Hey, that wasn't very nice," he said in a surprisingly soft voice for someone of his appearance. Xalek just spared the man a glance before giving a small huff and looking back at his master.

"Don't worry about it kid," Ashara said as she gave Wave a smile. "He is usually like that so don't take it too personally."

Wave rubbed the back of his head as a blush adorned his cheeks. The woman may have been an alien but she was extremely beautiful. "Um, thanks."

Loten crouched down and pressed several buttons on the holocomunicator. Despite the small size it was engineered and specially modified to put out massive images, though it did require some power to do so.

"Alright," Loten said as the top of the holocomunicator began glowing. "The meeting will proceed shortly." He then turned towards the Emperor. "Your highness, since this is an extremely sensitive thing and I have to keep formalities, may I ask if you lend me your throne for a moment."

"What?!" the Prime Minister exclaimed. "You can't be serious. The throne is-"

"Your highness," Loten interrupted while putting his hands behind his back. "This is only for a short while. And the Council is at the top of the Sith Empire." His fingers began slightly moving behind his back as he drew on the Force. "Only for a little bit."

"The same dizziness once again assaulted the young emperor before he once again ignored it. "Very well. Only for a little bit," Emperor Makoto said before rising from the throne.

Loten smiled before extending his hand which made the throne levitated in the air before he moved it towards his position. Once he put the throne down he sat, a position which everyone noticed seemed to suit him naturally.

The holocomunicator began flashing a bright light before it extended across the room, then one by one several other thrones appeared which even through the simple blue color and static could be seen as made of metal and not wood like the Emperor's throne was. There were twelve thrones positioned vertically in two lines, six each including the one Loten was using, but only seven had people seated on them.

The others were still amazed at what they were seeing. If they didn't know better they would have thought they were seeing ghosts or something similar. And those big metal thrones definitely gave them the appearance of power, and the people themselves who sat on the thrones enhanced that appearance.

"The Dark Council has been assembled," said Darth Marr as his gaze went to Loten. "Lord Nox, you requested this meeting. May we ask why?"

"Yes, please. Explain," came a rougher voice of a middle-aged man with brown hair and dark blue eyes. His face was adorned with some red tattoos and some cybernetic implants around his eyes and in his ears. He was dressed in red armor of a Sith warrior that was made of many platings and mechanics. "Why would you call us now in the middle of public unrest? Half of us couldn't even be here."

"Calm down, Lord Ravage," came a voice of a pale older man with black hair and beard, and red eyes. He was dressed in gray Sith robes adorned with pauldrons and slight armor. "I'm sure that Darth Nox had his reasons."

"You should listen to Mortis more often, Ravage," Marr commented. "You judge a bit too quickly for your own good." The man just rolled his eyes and grumbled at that.

"I assure you all there is a good reason for my call," Loten addressed the whole council. "The reason is that I believe that this planet can become of great importance to the Sith Empire."

"What?!" Darth Ravage exclaimed loudly. "And what could possibly that insignificant rock you used to call home be of any importance to our Empire?"

The rest of the people, except for Xalek and Ashara, were offended that the man called their home an 'insignificant rock'. But no one was sure if they should speak up or not. And they were somewhat surprised to hear that Loten originated from this planet.

"Well, I'd be glad to tell you," Loten said with a smirk. "But first." He then gestured with his hand Emperor Makoto. "Let me introduce you to…" He then looked at the Prime Minister and what he was doing. "Excuse me for a moment." Loten then swiped with his hand causing the piece of meat in the Minister's hand to fly off and hit a wall much to the man's shock. "Now, as I was saying, this young man standing there is an emperor of the Empire located on this planet. And I think that we should conduct official business with him."

All of their eyes were now turned on Makoto who began to slightly sweat at the gazes of seven powerful figures. But he swallowed some spit forming in his mouth and regained his composure. "I'm Emperor Makoto of the Thousand-Year Empire. And it as honor to meet such prestigious people as you, my lords."

One of the council members chuckled, the only one among them who didn't appear to be human. "Well, this young man has nice manners, at least," he said in a somewhat friendly tone in his elderly voice. The man was a Sith pureblood, indicated by his red skin, some protrusions on his face caused by his bone structure and a few red tendrils on his face that gave appearance of facial hair. The only normal features were his dark brown hair and orange eyes. And even then they noticed that the man was already into his old age.

"I think we should also have formal introductions of our own. Don't you all agree?" Loten asked the council members.

Ravage was seemingly about to protest but Marr interrupted him. "Very well. It is only fitting that we should keep things formal." He then turned back at the Emperor. "I am Darth Marr, the leader of the Sphere of Defense of the Empire."

Mortis was next. "I am Darth Mortis, leader of the Sphere of Laws and Justice."

Despite the somewhat narrowed look, Ravage came next. "I am Darth Ravage, leader of the Sphere of Expansion and Diplomacy."

Loten was up next. "I am Darth Nox, leader of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge."

Next was the only woman among them. She was middle-aged, had black hair and brown eyes, and dressed in red and grey robes with some gold outlines. "I am Darth Hadra, leader of the Sphere of Technology."

Next was the Sith pureblood. "I am Darth Vowrawn, leader of the Sphere of Production and Logistics."

And lastly was a man that honestly looked least human. Only his orange eyes and nose were seen and his face had extensive cybernetic implants. Everything else was covered by his black, blue and silver suit which seemed to be a combination of armor, leather and some machinery. "I am Darth Acharon, leader of the Sphere of Bionic Science."

"All of the available council members are in attendance," Darth Marr finished the introduction.

Wave leaned over to Run and whispered. "Man, what's with all these doom and gloom names?"

Hadra then turned towards the young seaman. "Is there something you wish to say, young man?" she asked.

Wave suddenly jolted in surprise as he began to sweat, not expecting to actually be heard. And now he saw that the attention was on him. He really did have some bad luck today. "Well… um… I didn't really…"

"And just what did he say to guarantee your attention, Hadra?" Mortis asked.

"Well, apparently, we have 'doom and gloom' names as he puts it," she explained causing Acharon to laugh, his cybernetics making his laugh sound inhuman.

"And just what might your name be?" Acharon asked Wave who gulped down a wad of spit forming in his mouth.

"It's… Wave, sir," the blue-haired young man answered trying to hide his nervousness.

"You're in trouble," Kurome muttered.

Acharon laughed once again. "And this brat actually has the audacity to mock our names? Our names are strong and bring fear into the hearts of our enemies," Acharon said with a clenched fist in front of him. "With that name, I wouldn't be surprised if he reeked of fish."

Wave blushed heavy red due to embarrassment and consistent mockery that seemed to follow him. Bols then put a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"It's alright, Wave. Just don't let them get to you."

Vowrawn then glanced at the cyborg Sith. "Oh, come now, weren't you the same when you were his age, Acharon? You can't really blame the youngsters for acting their age."

"Bah! At least I learned respect! It's something he should take note of he wants to survive."

Loten cleared his throat. "It would be most appreciated if we continued discussing important matters in front of us," he said to the two council members. "Now that the introductions are over I think it's important to convey the details of our business."

"Yes, indeed," said Marr. "You mentioned that this planet has something that could be important to our Empire. I was informed on the details but I don't believe that others were."

"Then I'll be happy to fill them in," Loten said with a smile. "Now, as you know, I've originated from this planet. I was raised as a slave for an influential weapons trader."

Now this came as a surprise to the Jaegers, the Minister and the Emperor.

"You were… a slave?" the Prime Minister asked not believing that one a slave from his own Empire, which he saw as his due to his influence on the Emperor, would be in such a high position and negotiating the fate of the said Empire.

"Uncommon, but not impossible. His predecessor, Darth Thanaton, was also a slave before he rose to the council rank," Darth Marr explained. "Now, where were we?"

"Right. Now, the weapons trader mentioned something about special weapons and elaborated something to one of his clients which I confirmed when I came here. And that is the existence of special weapons made from creatures native only to this planet, the Imperial Arms," Loten explained.

"You want something with our Imperial Arms?" Esdeath asked as she got curious about the conversation taking place.

"It's something that I'll explain shortly," Loten answered.

"Imperial Arms? And what exactly can these weapons do?" Darth Acharon asked, his weapon curious mind wondering what was so special about some weapons from a very primitive planet.

"Because they have quite a range of abilities. They are able to provide the wielders with great physical enhancements that can rival that of Force wielders to a degree, give some incredibly powerful weapons that overcome even some of the best blasters and even some Imperial Arms can have the ability to manipulate the elements," Loten explained before gesturing at Esdeath. "General Esdeath here is in the possession of one of the most powerful if not THE most powerful Imperial Arm that gives her power over ice to such an amount that she can change the very landscapes."

While Esdeath smiled at the praise, the council members were actually shocked to hear that. They never heard of any weapon doing such a thing to an individual, at least the one that didn't involve some form of ritual. But in the end, they've seen better.

"And so what?" Ravage asked. "That poses no threat to any one of us. I honestly doubt that she could handle a squadron of Jedi if they were sent at her."

Esdeath actually glared at Ravage. Did he really think he could just shrug her off as a threat? He had no idea what she could do, and she honestly doubted the man's boast.

"Maybe, but if we are able to reproduce such effects on many individuals that I'm certain that our battle efficiency on the ground would be boosted significantly," Loten explained. "And even then, that's only just one Imperial Arm. Think of all the others we could replicate and arm our soldiers with."

"I honestly doubt that such power comes for free," Mortis said as he crossed his arms. While it didn't sound very good to be able to possess such power it also didn't come without a cost.

"You're right, lord Mortis. There is another catch. The Imperial Arm actually has to choose who will be its user."

"Then such things wouldn't be so useful to us after all," Hadra said since she knew best when not to waste money on a resource. "Unless you have some way of bypassing such limitations."

"There is another thing that I found out about these Imperial Arms. It would appear they are naturally attuned to the Dark Side of the Force."

That particular bit caught the Council's attention. "That's very interesting," Vowrawn commented. "Could you please explain?"

"I found that the creatures of which these weapons are made from, Danger Beasts, are naturally attuned to the Dark Side, such as many creatures on Korriban. I have a theory that when my ancestors came to this planet they performed some Dark Side rituals on these animals, which eventually spread out into many others. Knowing that, we could use our own knowledge of Dark Side rituals and Sith Sorcery to 'manipulate' the weapons, making them completely obedient to us and their choice of user irrelevant."

"And are you sure this can work?" Acharon asked.

"With my own talents with Sith Sorcery, many researchers under my employ, and if some of your divisions give me assistance, then yes, it's completely possible. I've studied the manipulation of the Dark Side stored within an object and creatures. I could easily apply such knowledge in this situation."

"Um, I ask that you excuse me for butting in," Emperor Makoto said. "But what is this 'Dark Side' you keep speaking of?"

"Oh, excuse me, I forgot to inform our little Emperor on some details," Loten said before turning towards the young emperor. "You see, we have the ability to use something called the Force, energy that surrounds every living creature and manipulate it. That was what those abilities I've demonstrated before were."

"Oh, I see," the Emperor said. "Fascinating."

"Indeed," Esdeath said as she rubbed her chin, wanting to know more about this Dark Side of the Force.

"Yes, but back to the topic at hand," Loten said before turning back to the Council. "Weaponizing these Imperial Arms is a guarantee."

"That does sound like it could give us an advantage over the Republic," Marr said. "But you need to give us more details. How many of these weapons are there? How long does it take to make them?"

"From what I was informed, there are forty-eight known Imperial Arms in this world. And with the means of this world, it would take quite a number of resources and around a month to fully make," Loten informed them. "However, with our knowledge and advanced technology, the process shouldn't take longer than a few days at most. And if we harvest and breed the Danger Beasts of this planet then we could see huge mass production of these Imperial Arms for our troops. Instead of just forty-eight, we can easily make hundreds if not thousands."

Everyone except the Dark Council and Loten's apprentices were staring wide-eyed. The prospect of thousands of Imperial Arms was simply unbelievable. Though for Esdeath that was a great opportunity to increase power, something she was actually looking forward to.

Acharon laughed at that. "Well, if what you propose is true, then I don't see any reason to deny it," he said before turning towards the rest of the Council. "I propose that we accept Lord Nox's proposal and integrate these Imperial Arms into our weapons manufacture."

"Wait a minute. You will take our Imperial Arms?" Prime Minister said, not too thrilled about the prospect.

"More or less," Loten answered.

The Prime Minister then turned towards Emperor Makoto. "Your highness, this is preposterous! As your advisor, I suggest you don't listen to whatever they're saying! The Imperial Arms are sacred treasures of this Empire!"

Ravage's eyes narrowed before he turned to Loten. "Nox, who is this over-bloated Rakghoul?"

Loten's eyes also narrowed as he looked at Honest. "That is Prime Minister Honest, a man who honestly should know not to stick his fingers where they don't belong."

"With all due respect, you can't honestly expect us to give away our greatest weapons to a whole new Empire. Besides, we-"

"Enough!" Loten exclaimed, silencing the Prime Minister and making him back away as the ground seemingly rumbled from the man's voice. "If I may have a moment there is another thing I'll get done quickly."

"Fine, just be quick about it. We don't need to waste any more time," Marr said.

Loten nodded. "Now then, Prime Minister. There is something I need to discuss with you," Loten said as his gaze was firmly placed on the obese man. "And it concerns the assassination attempt you orchestrated against us."

The Prime Minister gasped in shock at the man's words as he began sweating bullets, while the others couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"That's a lie," Seryu exclaimed. "The Prime Minister would never do such a thing! It goes against justice!"

"The assassins we interrogated said otherwise. They were more than happy to tell after a bit of torture," Loten said with a smile. "Though, that didn't save their lives." He then turned towards the Emperor. "Your Highness, surely you know what the punishment would be for trying to assassinate one of the leaders of a foreign Empire."

The Emperor's gaze moved from Loten to the Prime Minister, not sure what to do. He knew what such punishment would entail but the Minister was his advisor for a long time. "Well, yeah, but-"

"And I'm certain that," Loten began as his fingers twitched a little. "You'll agree."

The Emperor then regained his composure. "I agree," he said before turning back to the Minister. "I'm sorry Prime Minister, but you'll have to be punished for your crimes."

"But, your Majesty-!"

"And I'm sure that," Loten's fingers twitched again. "You will allow me to execute him."

Makoto nodded. "I'll allow you to execute him." The Prime Minister could only look in horror at what was happening next to him. He was just about ready to run.

Loten couldn't make the smile disappear from his face. "Why thank you, your Majesty." He then turned towards his Kaleesh apprentice. "Xalek, kill him."

"With pleasure," Xalek said before turning towards Honest.

The man then quickly turned tail and ran, heading towards the door, but stopped as Xalek was already in front of him, surprised at how fast the alien was. Honest tried to punch him but Xalek grabbed his fist easily and began to squeeze. A cracking sound could be heard as Honest screamed in pain with his hand slowly being crushed under Xalek's mighty grip.

Xalek then gave a final squeeze as every bone in the man's hand broke and it began bleeding all over. Honest screamed in pain at his crushed hand but didn't have the chance to do anything else before Xalek grabbed his head. Xalek then began to squeeze as well, doing a similar thing he did with the man's hand.

"No wait, please!" The man begged as his head was being crushed. "Please, I'm too young to die! I-"

He didn't get to finish as his skull caved in, making an explosion of blood, flesh, and bone come from where his head was. The man's body fell to the floor as the bloody part where his head used to be dripped blood on the carpet.

The Jaegers couldn't believe what they saw. The Prime Minister was dead, killed by having his skull crushed. Though among the Jaegers, Run had to use much of his willpower not crack a smile at the man's fate.

The Emperor also looked shocked, seemingly only now aware of what he had done. But then he took a few breaths of air to calm himself. It was something that needed to be done.

Loten just smiled. Force Persuasion really made a lot of things simple.

"Alright, now that this distraction is over with," Hadra said. "How should we proceed?"

"I think it's very simple. The colonization of this planet," Mortis said before turning towards Makoto. "Emperor, I think it would be most beneficial for you to agree on having your planet being assimilated into the Sith Empire. Despite your weaponry, your planet is still very primitive. The number of resources our Empire could bring yours would be invaluable. The many diseases that plague your planet would disappear completely and an average lifespan of a person would be greatly increased. Your food or water shortages would also disappear. We would also place you as a person in power in the Empire that oversees this planet. Your power as an Emperor would be dwarfed with the position we are offering. In exchange, anything on the Imperial Arms, Danger Beast and research into such things would be completely overseen by us."

"I implore you to agree, your Highness," Loten said. "Your decision could make this entire world into a dreamland where your people would be satisfied with their lives. How could you object to such an offer?"

Makoto was shocked to hear all of this. What these people were proposing was more or less a Utopia that this Thousand Year Empire always wanted to achieve. Thinking of all the possible things these people could bring to his Empire it didn't take long for the young man's mind to come to a conclusion.

"I humbly accept your offer, my lords. The Empire welcomes you with open arms!" Makoto exclaimed in royal voice, which now sounded more like it should due to his increased confidence in his decision.

"Very well then," Mortis said. "Within a month we will send some of our ships to your world when your planet will begin to be a part of the glorious Sith Empire. You have made the right decision."

The Emperor nodded with a big smile on his face. But then he remembered something else that was happening in his Empire. "Well, there is also one thing, my lords. There is still the Revolutionary Army that rebelled against us and they are a problem we need to deal with."

Mortis just shrugged his shoulders. "Not to worry. We will also be sending troops there which will make sure the rebellion on this planet is crushed."

"Why bother?" Ravage said before pointing at Loten. "They have him there. Why doesn't he just help them crush this pathetic rebellion so our troops can fight the Republic? He is more than capable and has done it before."

"Why I would gladly undertake such a task if it meant the safe assimilation into the Sith Empire," Loten said with a smile.

"Fine then. All the terms of the negotiations have been agreed upon," Marr said. "This meeting is adjourned."

And with that, all the holograms disappeared back into the holocomunicator on the floor.

Loten couldn't keep a smile from forming on his face. This turn of events was something he was hoping for. Now, with Prime Minister gone from the Emperor's ear and with the Sith rule more or less established, this world, its power and knowledge were finally in his grasp.

* * *

**AN: And that's it for now. Boy, a lot happened for a chapter that takes a place in a single room And as I'm sure you've noticed, I gave some more info on the origins of Danger Beasts to make them fit into Star Wars lore. Hope you didn't mind it too much.**

**And don't forget to leave a review. They help me stay motivated. See you next time!**


	7. 6 Kill the Ride

A Look to the Past

**AN: And here's another update! Whoa, has it been over a month already? Well, life and college keep you busy but hey, what can you do? But anyway, here's something I was finally able to write. Hope you enjoy! **

**Now to reviews.**

**Dracus6: Yeah, that's pretty much how it is.**

* * *

Kill the Ride

A big Air Manta was flying through the afternoon sky, heading towards one ordered destination. On it stood several figures, the members of the assassination group Night Raid and Danek, the Hero of Tython. All of them in sitting positions as the wind blew their hair.

Danek and Najenda sat close to each other as they rode the manta, both of them laughing

"Ok, here's another one," Najenda said as she stopped laughing but a grin still stayed on her face. "How did the picture end up in prison? It was framed."

That caused both of them to laugh again. Though, the reactions of the others weren't really as joyful.

Leone slightly gritted her teeth and clasped her hands together. "Oh, please, if there are any gods out there, please make them stop," she begged. Shortly after they boarded the Air Manta, Danek suggested to Najenda that they tell jokes to pass the time. The fear in everyone's faces, except Susanoo's, would have been the most amusing sight.

"Oh, I have a good one," Danek said before clearing his throat. "One lung said to another… we be_lung_ together." And once again they burst out laughing.

Tatsumi began rubbing his head in frustration. "Can't you just ask them to stop?"

Mine scoffed at the young man's suggestion. "Be my guest. I'm not risking having that metal arm hitting me on the head. Leone can testify to that," she said causing Leone to stick out her tongue in Mine's direction.

Lubbock looked at his boss and this newcomer having fun and slightly narrowed his eyes. He couldn't help but feel jealous of the situation. He was planning on impressing Najenda so she could one day go out with him and suddenly this guy arrives and the two joke around just like that.

But he wasn't accepting surrender just yet. No, he decided that now would be a good opportunity to also make Najenda laugh. "Hey, boss, Danek!" he called out getting their attention. "Mind if I join?"

Leone looked at him like he was crazy. "Please, Lubbock, not you as well. The last thing we need is you joining in."

"Come on, Leone," Danek said with a smile. "Let him try. There's no harm in it."

"For you, at least," Leone muttered under her breath.

"Alright, Lubbock," Najenda said. "Show us what you've got."

Lubbock grinned at that. "Alright, here it goes," he said before clearing his breath. "Whenever I undress in the bathroom… My shower gets turned on!"

He waited for Najenda's reaction, a laugh, a grin or something similar. But all he was met with was deathly silence, Danek and Najenda just stared blankly at him, while the others also stared at him with looks of annoyance and embarrassment.

The green-haired man looked around, not believing the reactions he was getting. "Oh, come on! Nothing?"

Najenda sighed. "Sorry, Lub, but no."

"Sorry, but it looks like," Danek began while putting his prosthetic hand up. "That you and puns don't really go hand in hand."

That pun caused Najenda to once again laugh while Lubbock began looking dejected. Once again, all he accomplished was giving Danek more pun material and making Najenda laugh. He really had the worst.

"Wow, how bad must it be if those two didn't laugh?" Tatsumi asked rhetorically as he felt bad for Lubbock, knowing the man's crush on Najenda.

Chelsea then patted the dejected man on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I liked it," she said with a smile.

"No, you didn't," Lubbock said in a low tone. "You would have laughed."

"Well, I tried to cheer you up," she said with a shrug.

Mine gave an annoyed sigh. "I'm honestly not surprised that your joke would be something like that."

"Stop it, Mine," Akame said. "He's already had enough."

Najenda then moved closer to the edge of the Air Manta and looked down, seeing the landscapes below. She saw the familiar forests and rock formation passing below them in a blur. "Alright, it shouldn't be too long until we reach HQ."

Danek nodded. "Good. We need to finish this as soon as we can."

Najenda also gave him a nod, knowing that what he was about to propose to their leader could one of the most crucial plans for defeating the Empire even sooner than anticipated. She hardly believed it but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

She then once again cast a look at his now exposed mechanical hand, a still wondrous sight. Funny considering she saw huge monsters and people with crazy abilities, you'd think that something like an advanced prosthetic wouldn't be as impressive.

"Say, is the maintenance on this arm hard?" she asked. Since she had her own prosthetic hand she knew that something like that required maintenance so it could continue functioning properly.

"Oh, this thing," Danek said as he put the arm in front of him and moved the mechanical fingers. "Well, while it is a higher quality model, once you know what you're doing it's pretty easy. And if you don't then droids with medical programming would offer assistance."

Najenda raised an eyebrow as he mentioned something she didn't quite get. "Droids? What are droids?"

Danek blinked before remembering that they wouldn't know what a droid is. "Droids are robots, though with consciousness on a level of a human being, built for a great variety of purposes, from simple servants to soldiers.

"Ah, I see," Najenda said. While they definitely weren't technologically advanced they at least had a concept of what a robot was. While she was interested, she wasn't going to speak of that topic further, being more interested in Danek himself. "And when did you get that arm?"

"Shortly before I began my training as a Jedi," Danek answered.

"That soon? Shouldn't you have at least gotten used to it?" Najenda asked.

"Well, I was pretty impatient back then," the Jedi said. "I wanted to get in top form as quickly as I could. After what happened to me after my clan was killed, I also began rigorous training with my left arm. I'm pretty much ambidextrous."

"You were that determined in your training?" she asked, though the fact that he pushed himself so far that both of his hands were dominant should have answered her question.

"Oh, you have no idea," he said with a slight smile. "I was so determined that it might have ended up badly down the road."

"What do you mean by that? How exactly is the determination to get better at something so harmful?"

Danek turned and looked her in the eyes. "Well, the training to be a Jedi is quite… different than the usual kind. Something I didn't really pay attention to at first."

* * *

_It's been two years since Danek was found and saved by the Jedi master. During that time he was offered to be trained as a Jedi which Danek accepted since there was seemingly nothing else left for him. He was also given a new prosthetic arm, though of a rougher design than the one he would have years later._

_And in the beginning, he was also amazed by the greater universe he was exposed to, marveling at the spaceship, the outer space and flying through it, the droids, and the knowledge of aliens. It was all too much for him at first, but his mind settled. The Jedi also had Danek learn the Galactic Basic language, which he did pretty quickly._

_Right now, he was located in a fighting ring in one of the training facilities for the Jedi. Across him was a green-skinned Twi'lek, a fellow student. Both of them were dressed in standard training gear, consisting of simple white pants, a beige robe-like shirt, and simple shoes. Both of them were also holding training sabers, a practice weapon with a hilt mimicking a lightsaber hilt and a cylindrical blade that emitted electrical charges causing it to slightly glow yellow._

_Surrounding them were more students and an elderly woman with greying brown hair and green eyes, dressed in standard Jedi. Her gaze was focused on the two of them though she paid special attention to Danek._

_Both of the students held a high guard with their training sabers and waited for the other to strike. Danek then ran forward towards his opponent, he hands going behind his head as he went for a really strong strike._

_The Twi'lek then prepared to guard for this seemingly obvious attack by putting his blade up the moment Danek brought down his own. The two blades met with slight spark, but to the Twi'lek's surprise, Danek then quickly tilted his sword down and, with it being near the hilt, struck the fingers causing the Twi'lek grunt in pain as his fingers were shocked nearly causing him to drop his training saber._

_After the subtle strike, Danek once again quickly struck his opponent on the neck causing him to once again grunt in pain as his hand found itself on the point of impact. The shock intensity on the blades was low so no notable damage was dealt._

_"__Ah, man," the Twi'lek said before turning off his training saber and putting it on his back. "You win again."_

_Danek gave a slight smile before also turning off and putting away his weapon. "Sorry about that, Dar. It was a technique that I wanted to try out."_

_Dar gave out sigh. "Can you at least use a technique that will make us last more than ten seconds?"_

_Danek gave a laugh at that. "Once again, sorry about that. I'll try better in the future."_

_Dar also smiled and shook his head before walking towards Danek and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm just messing with you, big guy. You shouldn't feel ashamed of being so good. It means you'll be great Jedi in the future."_

_"__Thank you, Dar," Danek said._

_"__Nice performance, you two," the elderly master said as she approached the two students. "You especially, Danek. Your use of the Makashi fighting style is nothing short of exemplary."_

_Danek gave a bow. "I'm honored by your compliment, master Seilin."_

_"__Stop being so humble, Danek," Dar said as he grinned at the blue-haired young man. "You deserve all the praise you get." Both students chuckled at that._

_Soon, the entire class dispersed after the fight was over, though Dar wouldn't call it a fight as much as showing how outclassed he was, and Danek excused himself so he could go do some of his own business._

* * *

_It was late at night when master Seilin found herself walking through the halls of the training facility, looking for someone. She used her sensing ability to scan the facility until she could pinpoint the exact location._

_As she walked through the hallways illuminated by many artificial lights she stopped in front of a single room. She input a special code and the door slid up with a hiss. _

_She was then met with a sight of Danek practicing, a Holocron was located on the floor showing a hologram of a Jedi doing some saber moves that Danek imitated perfectly. The room he was located was completely lit up but the isolation of the room from the rest of the area meant that it wouldn't bother anyone, and it was pretty spacious, perfect for practice. _

_As Danek continued to train with his saber, completely unaware of the sudden visitor, Seilin walked up the young man before clearing her throat. Danek stopped his practice before finally noticing the Jedi master standing next to him._

_"__Oh, master Seilin," he blurted out before putting away his training saber. "I didn't hear you come in."_

_"__Well, with the way that you seemed so into training I'm not surprised you were distracted," Seilin said before crossing her arms. "Do you know what time it is, Danek?"_

_Danek slightly shook at her stern voice. "Well… I'm honestly not sure," he answered somewhat awkwardly._

_Seilin sighed at her student's response. "Danek, this is also something previous masters told me about. You constantly train. The masters also found you so late during the night, they even told me you barely get two hours of sleep before you come back to training."_

_Danek almost looked shameful since what she said was true. Because of his warrior-like upbringing on his own planet, he has taken to lightsaber combat pretty easily, picking up lessons very quickly, so quickly that even some masters were boggled about that. Later they found out that not only was he a natural swordsman, but that he also trained a lot. _

_A lot._

_Even after lessons, Danek quickly found himself training in lightsaber forms. First was the basic Shii-Cho, then the defensive Soresu and currently the dueling Makashi. Danek spent so much time training in the day that if he wasn't eating, sleeping, or studying about the larger galaxy, he was training. And as said, he wasn't sleeping that much._

_"__Look, master Seilin, I'll be fine. My body is already trained not to feel fatigued from the lack of sleep," Danek explained hoping that his Jedi instructor would drop the matter. _

_"__That's not the point Danek," Seilin said before sternly before her tone calmed. "Please, tell me, why do you train so much? You barely even interact with other students."_

_That was another thing that came as a consequence of Danek's training. He wasn't very social with others and sometimes he wouldn't even bother to talk with them. Dar was friendly with him but that Twi'lek was friendly with everyone, that was just the person he was. Besides him, Danek was more or less anti-social._

_"__Danek, I know that the Jedi code tells us not to get too emotionally attached but forming bonds is still important," Seilin said in a slightly worried tone. "Besides, why do you train so much anyway?"_

_"__It's because… because I need to be prepared for anything!" Danek exclaimed causing Seilin to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "You see, the reason I train is so that I could master the lightsaber forms to their fullest degree. Think about it, master. How many cases were where Jedi were cut down because their defense wasn't developed enough or because their offense was lacking, making them open? Those are weaknesses I'm trying to avoid."_

_"__Danek, you know that for such a thing you can become a Niman specialist," Seiling suggested. Niman is a lightsaber form that was a moderation of all other forms and she thought that might be something he was looking for. "Such a thing can be taught. There is no reason for such rigorous training."_

_Danek shook his head. "It's not so simple, master," he said. "From what I read, Niman, while a good form in its own right, is more of a 'jack of all trades master of none' style of fighting. For me, that's not enough. I need to practice each style individually until I can master them completely."_

_"__Oh Danek, Danek," muttered Seiling as she shook her head. "Barely eighteen in years and you still wear your age on your sleeve. Do you actually believe that mastering all seven forms so quickly will make you unbeatable?"_

_"__No, master, of course not," Danek answered. "I'm young, but I'm not that ignorant. I just think that I would be optimally prepared for anything."_

_"__Well there is one thing that they will never prepare you for," master Seilin said gaining a curious expression from Danek. "Tell me, how is your training in the Force proceeding?"_

_Danek actually stood there for a few seconds before replying. "Well, it's… I admit… less than ideal."_

_"__Yes, the other masters told me about it. Your focus is easily disrupted, you're seemingly always an edge and your meditation is very lacking. I know your ability with Force augmentation is good but everyone here can do that. You can't go on like this, not without proper training of your mind."_

_"__Master, I swear, when I'm done with lightsaber forms I'll completely dedicate myself to that. I promise."_

_The elderly woman once again shook her head. "It's not so simple. Tell me, you've read up on all the lightsaber forms, correct?" she asked to which Danek nodded. "Then you know about the seventh lightsaber form and that it draws on emotions." Danek nodded once again though more reluctantly. "So tell me, how do you expect to master that if you can't even master your own emotions?"_

_"__I… well, I planned-"_

_Seilin raised her hand as an indication that he stopped talking. "Don't answer that. You already know you can't."_

_Danek's expression now turned to the one of shame as he knew that the master was right. He didn't really think this through and just went into it._

_"__That is not the only thing. Many young men and women like you tried to gain as much skill and power as quickly as they could but were then turned to the Dark Side as such temptation has overridden their sense of reason. Did you really not read on the history of the Jedi Order or did you pick just that which went along with your view?"_

_After Seilin's scolding Danek actually had his head hung low, looking down at the cold metal floor in shame. She was right indeed. He skimmed over some of the history so he could focus on what he deemed to be important. He had forgone his training in the Force since he wasn't that good at it so he tried to get as good as he could and as fast as he could in something he had a great natural talent for._

_But he realized that Seilin's wisdom on the matter was right. If he continued he just may end up falling to the Dark Side._

_"__Danek, listen to me," Seilin said in a soothing tone causing the young Partas to look at her. "Master Orgus explained your situation to me. I know about the traumatic experience you went through and that you're learning all you can so you don't get caught unprepared, but you can't let your paranoia rule over your life. What does the Jedi Code teach us?"_

_"__There is no emotion, there is peace," Danek quoted the first line of the Jedi Code._

_"__Correct, my student," Seilin said with a smile. "That line teaches us that, while we shouldn't disregard our emotions we also shouldn't let them rule over our lives. That is why we train our minds, so we can master our emotions and make rational decisions. Do you understand?"_

_Danek was silent for a few moments. "Yes, I understand," he said in a low tone._

_"__Danek, don't be so glum," she said in a more happy tone. "You can still train all the lightsaber forms if you wish, but you need to make sure you also train in mastering the Force and your mind."_

_"__I'll… I'll try."_

_"__That's good enough," Seilin said before picking up the training Holocron that was still on the floor. "Now, go back to bed. I'll give you some training in meditation tomorrow. You better be ready."_

_Danek nodded before the two of them walked away to their separate rooms._

* * *

Najend listened intently to yet another story about Danek's life in the larger universe and once again she was intrigued. Not just by the training but with how he described the technology as well.

But the way he talked about training to be a Jedi was definitely something she paid most attention to. "So training to be a Jedi is that complicated?"

"It is, indeed," Danek said. "However, after that, I started training with master Seilin. It didn't come to me as good as lightsaber combat did as you can probably imagine but I did make progress. And, well, here I am."

Danek then noticed something and saw that Tatsumi was looking at them intently. "Were you listening in, Tatsumi?" Danek asked with a slight smirk.

Tatsumi immediately blushed and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry about that. It's just that your story is very interesting," Tatsumi said before his embarrassment subsided. "Hey, Danek, do you think it's possible you could train me?"

Danek was honestly caught off guard with that question. "You want me to train you as a Jedi?"

"Well, I was more thinking of giving me some pointers about something. Not necessarily the entire Jedi training," Tatsumi explained.

Danek gave it a thought, not sure if that was a good idea. "Well, I can't say I could just train you in some Jedi ways while not also training you to be a Jedi. But, I could give you some general tips on combat. We'll see after this whole debacle is over, alright?"

Tatsumi looked somewhat disappointed as he was no doubt hoping that there would be something Danek could teach him immediately. He gave a sigh. "Alright then." He then came back to his previous sitting position on the Air Manta.

"Hey, Najenda," Danek said gaining her attention. "How exactly did you lose your arm and eye?"

"Your sister," was her simple answer which caused Danek to gain a look of shock.

"Oh. I'm… sorry about that."

Najenda waved her hand dismissively. "You don't have to apologize, you didn't do it." She then once again looked below the manta. "Looks like we're here."

The Air Manta then began to descend near a mountain range. After a minute they found themselves near a cave located on the side of one of the mountains with a really wide entrance which is where the Air Manta landed.

Najenda explained to Danek that their hideout for the Revolutionary Army was a hideout that was previously used by some rebels against the Empire but was fortunately never found. And since the Revolutionary Army grew over the years this single hideout wasn't enough but was still used by leaders as their HQ where they discussed important strategies and military operations.

They were greeted by several people dressed in armor with some standard weapons. The team got off the Danger which the armored men took with them into the cave using some ropes and spears, though Danek could tell that it would not disobey.

The team then walked into the hideout, after explaining Danek's presence with them of course, and Najenda offered to take Danek to talk to their leader about his plan while the rest of them looked around.

Just as Danek and Najenda were about to leave Danek's robotic hand was grabbed by Lubbock causing him to turn to the green-haired man who gave him a glare.

"Look, you better not try any funny business with her or I'll deal with you personally, got it?" he said in a threatening tone, hoping that at least it would have some effect this time.

However, Danek just once again smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'll keep my _hands _to myself," Danek joked causing Najenda to give a chuckle.

Lubbock's eyes widened. "Wha… but… agh, damn it!" he cursed with his hands finding a way to his face, as once again his plan has backfired.

Mine looked at Lubbock annoyingly. "Oh, will you just give it a rest already?! You're not doing any of us any favors!"

Danek turned to Najedna. "Quite a team you got there."

"Don't I know it," she said with a smile before lighting up a cigarette. "Well, shall we?"

Danek gave a mock bow. "After you, my lady?"

Najenda once again chuckled. "Man, I really wish you arrived sooner. You'd be quite a company."

And they both went into one of the entrances within the cave, while Lubbock saw the interaction and got even more depressed.

"Well, that's just great," Lubbock said in a defeated tone. "I'll never get her attention now."

Tatsumi, who stood next to him with his arms crossed, decided to respond. "Well, I honestly think your chances were squandered with you trying to peek on Leone while she was bathing."

Lubbock then turned to Tatsumi with narrowed eyes. "Hey, I told you already, that has nothing to do with this!"

Tatsumi just sighed and facepalmed at his friend's antics.

Danek and Najenda walked through a hallway, which looked like a regular hallway, unlike the previous place where they had been. The place had many doors and was lit with lanterns, but Danek didn't have to wait for too long before the two found themselves at the end of the hall.

There was a room which was lit up more than the hallway, with a big table in the middle of it and several chairs. In one of them sat a balding middle-aged man dressed in a military uniform with black boots. He was also currently looking over a map and some papers before he noticed the two walking in.

The moment he saw Najenda he smiled and rose from his chair. "Najenda, good to see you again," he said in a slightly rough voice. "I assume you have some news for me."

"Indeed I do, general Lorag," she said respectfully.

Lorag then looked at the tall blue-haired man beside her. "And who might you be, young man?"

"I am Danek of the Partas clan," Danek answered causing the man to slightly gasp.

"The Partas clan?" Lorag muttered. He did see a resemblance but he thought it was just some coincidence, that he was someone who just resembled general Esdeath. His eyes narrowed before he turned to Najedna. "What is the meaning of this, Najenda?"

"I assure you, this man is on our side. Despite his relations, he isn't with Esdeath and is more than willing to help us fight the Empire," she assured causing Lorag to calm down slightly but he was still suspicious.

"And how exactly do you plan on helping us fight the Empire?" Lorag asked sternly.

"Because I know of a way that can help you defeat the Empire in a single strike," Danek said making Lorag look at him curiously.

"Well, kid, you got my attention."

* * *

**AN: And that's that! No action in this once, except for the slight training, but I hope you at least enjoyed the character interactions.**

**And yeah, for those more familiar with the lore I changed it a bit so that Orgus Din has met Danek earlier than in the canon by him being the one who found Danek. I hope you don't mind. And yeah I just made up the leader of the Revolutionary Army since we weren't introduced to one in any media.**

**And I once again implore you, if you liked this then please leave a review since those are really great motivators for creators to try harder and put out more content.**

**See you next time!**


	8. 7 Kill a Story

A Look to the Past

**AN: And here's the next chapter of A Look to the Past. I must admit this was pretty fun to write. I hope you didn't wait too long for it.**

**Now to reviews.**

**Dracus6: I've been lenient with your predictions, but this time I'll outright say: Sorry, but that won't happen.**

* * *

7 Kill a Story

Loten sat alone in his private room, a special room given to him by the young Emperor Makoto. It was furnished with fancy chairs, tables, and furniture; it had a private container for drinks and other things. Makoto asked him if he wanted some special servants, something Honest really like to have but Loten declined, feeling there was no need.

His little venture back to his homeworld proved even more fruitful than he initially thought. He thought that he would be able to bring back some powerful weapons for the Sith Empire, but now he would be manufacturing many weapons for the Empire's ground troops. The limited study he did on the Danger Beasts made quite a headway in expanding his influence.

He brought several books to his room so he could study the exact origins of the Danger Beasts. They definitely appeared before this world's Empire was founded, by some means yet unknown, and, Loten noticed, not too long after Tulak Hord betrayed his ancestor. He theorized that perhaps his other ancestors created the Danger Beasts on this planet with some form of Sith alchemy, though he still wasn't sure for what purpose or what happened after. Though, it must have been something serious if his family ended in poverty and him being sold to slavery.

He continued turning the pages, trying to finds anything that might mention the name Kallig or anything similar but knowledge of such a time was scarce.

He then suddenly felt a shift in the Force, a presence he felt before but never thought he would feel again.

He closed the book he was reading, rose from his chair and turned to look at the new face that now stood in the room. Standing there was a Force Ghost, dressed in some Sith robes and armor with a skull-like metal mask on his face. This was the spirit of his ancestor, Aloysius Kallig.

"Flesh of my flesh, it has been a long time since we talked," said the Sith apparition in a deep ethereal voice.

"That we have," Loten said as he walked in front of his ancestor. "I thought you said you wouldn't be strong enough after you saved me the last time."

"Normally, I wouldn't be," the ancient Kallig said before spreading his arms around as if gesturing his surroundings. "But I was able to feel your presence here, in a place where the influence of our illustrious family can be felt throughout this world. It fills me with enough strength to be able to speak to you again."

"So I was right," Loten said as he put his fingers on his chin. "Our family did create the Danger Beasts that roam this world."

"Not only that, flesh of my flesh," Kallig said. "I can feel that this entire Empire is here with the help of our bloodline. Those weapons you are searching for were definitely also made thanks to our family's knowledge in Sith alchemy."

So that's how it was, thought Loten. His family was quite influential on this planet, not only creating the Danger Beasts but also having a hand in the creation of this Empire. "Though, it does make someone wonder, how exactly did we fall so low?"

"Treachery and betrayal follow the Sith no matter where, and I'm certain that's why you can't find much on our family in this Empire's history," Kallig told his descendant.

"Do you know of any reason as to why they created the Danger Beasts?" Loten asked to see if his ancestor knew something.

"I cannot say for certain, but it was probably some experimentation on their part after they hid from Tulak Hord's treachery. These Imperial Arms were no doubt meant to harvest the power of the beasts as some substitute for the Force or to enhance themselves."

"And also to have some empowered soldiers on their side," Loten added as he thought about it. "But apparently whatever they were planning didn't come to fruition and the Thousand Year Empire took control of the Imperial Arms."

"That is more than likely the outcome. This would also be why you ended in slavery and not on the throne." Kallig then crossed his arms. "But that doesn't matter now, flesh of my flesh. You are now beginning to bring back what's ours. The position you got on the Dark Council was a great step to bringing our bloodline its former glory. If you succeed in acquiring these weapons then our family's handiwork would shape the very state of the Sith Empire and crush that pathetic Republic underfoot!"

Loten grinned as a sense of pride swelled in his chest. His family may have fallen from grace on this planet but that will come back full circle when he begins arming Imperial soldiers with mass-produced Imperial Arms. The amount of power and influence he would gain would be great.

He could eventually even come on top of the Empire, someone with power greater than the one the Dark Council possessed. Not only would the work of his family be influential for the Sith Empire, but it may also put him on top. Overambitious? Maybe, but within the realm of possibility.

"However, I must also warn you," Kallig said getting Loten out of his musings. "I can sense that you will also face danger on this planet. Something will definitely stand in your way."

Loten's yellow eyes glowed purple for a brief moment as they narrowed. "Then I'll just destroy as I've done before," he said.

"Do not be arrogant," Kallig warned. "Whatever comes may as well make all your efforts in vain. Take this threat seriously. I wish I could tell you what exactly that would be but the Force doesn't give me a clear vision."

Loten nodded. His ancestor has given him such warnings before and he was right. He knew that heeding his warning would be a good idea.

"I have to go now, I cannot sustain my form here for too long even with the Dark Side energies being stronger here," Aloysius Kallig said as he began disappearing. "Farewell, blood of my blood. Make our family proud." And he disappeared leaving Loten alone in the room once again.

Loten stood there for a moment, many thoughts going through the young Darth's mind. As usual, Kallig's visits were never social, only arriving to assist him or give him advice. His ancestor's words confirmed his theories on his family making the Danger Beasts and what he could do with their legacy.

But what exactly was the threat of which his ancestor spoke? He was sure there was nothing on this planet stronger than he was. Was it the revolutionary army? Would he be betrayed?

He shook his head, not wanting to become paranoid right now. So far everything was going smoothly. The young Emperor was easy to influence and while the others may be wary of him and his apprentices, he sensed no amount of ill intention from them that they would attack him.

So who would be the one who was a threat to him? Perhaps he could ask around. Well, he needed to talk to some of them anyway. And he had one in mind in particular.

He walked out of his study room, leaving the books on his table. He walked across several hallways, passing some servants who tried not to bother him, probably thinking that getting his attention was not a good idea. He supposed that the yellow eyes and the black veins surrounding them was one of the reasons for that. He wondered how they would react if they saw a Sith who had it worse than he did.

After a few minutes of walking, he saw a familiar face of a young blonde-haired man. "Hey, you," Loten called out getting the young man's attention. "Your name is… Run, yes?"

The young man gave him a smile and a nod. "Yes it is, sir. How may I be of service?" he asked in a polite tone. While Run did put a calm and polite front, which would definitely fool most people, Loten could sense that the man had conflicted feelings about him.

"I hope you don't mind me bothering you a little bit, but I was wondering where I could find Esdeath," Loten said in an equally polite tone.

Run seemed to ponder on it for a moment. "I think she should be in the torture chambers below. It should be located in the lower levels of the palace," Run explained. Loten also focused on sensing the man's emotions and saw that while he didn't show it the young man wasn't all that happy about what he said. Loten thought that maybe he was of the kinder people so he wondered why was Run here within such corruption. Perhaps he was the one who would betray him?

"Thank you. Your help has been most appreciated," Loten said formally, keeping the appearance of someone who he thought Run would think was reasonable enough.

"Glad I was able to help," Run said with a small bow before departing.

Loten then walked to the lower levels of the palace. After passing several hallways and staircases his senses were filled with a feeling of pain, fear, and despair, coming from many parts of his surroundings. He found himself near a seemingly simple wooden door, but it was easy to determine what was behind them.

Once he entered his physical senses were assaulted with a smell of blood, his ears now hearing painful groans and screams. He saw that he was located in a dark hallway lit by torches with doors on each side of it.

He closed the door behind him and walked through the hallway. The screams of pain and begging for mercy were louder, his nose also picking up a smell of something burning. He once also heard something boiling. But he paid them no mind, though he had to admit they had a lot of people here to torture.

His focused his mind on searching the strongest presence in the Force, which he easily found as Esdeath's Imperial Arm the Demon's Extract was extremely powerful. He walked for several moments, passing a man who carried a bag over his shoulder with someone struggling inside it before coming to one of the doors.

Once he entered he was greeted by a sight of Esdeath standing in front of a man that was tied to a cross. He had several wounds on him, some of his fingers and toes missing, one of his cheeks torn and he was lacking an eye.

"My, my," said Esdeath in a somewhat pleased tone. "You are one tough nut to crack. But that's okay." She then approached a table with torture appliances raging from jagged blades to pincers. "I enjoy a challenge."

The man just let out a raspy breath. "Give me your worst," he growled out defiantly.

Loten looked amused at the sight as it was one he was very familiar with. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Esdeath stopped looking through the appliances, her attention being directed at the Sith lord that stood at the door. She then gave him a small smile. "And what brings such an esteemed person in the Torture Chambers?"

"I wanted to talk to you, actually," Loten said before closing the door behind him. "But I see you're a bit busy."

"Oh, I won't be for too long," she said before looking back at her prisoner. "This man is from the rebellion and he might have some vital information. But don't worry, I've made tougher men than him crack."

"Is that so?" Loten said before approaching the man himself. The prisoner looked Loten just as defiantly as he did Esdeath. "Well, I hope you don't mind if I speed it up a bit."

Loten then put his hand up, holding it near the chest area of the prisoner. "Just what the hell are you-?" the prisoner was about to ask but he suddenly felt horrible pain in his chest. Or more precisely, his heart. He let out a loud screech of pain as he felt like something was gripping his heart.

Loten chuckled at the man's reaction. "Sorry about that, but I'd rather have this thing end quickly."

Esdeath watched in fascination at the scene. Loten was obviously doing something but she couldn't determine what. Was it yet another of his powers?

"You know, just to further hurry this up," Loten said before raising his other hand. "Why don't I get a grip on your spleen?"

The man then shouted louder as he indeed felt something gripping his spleen. He screamed for a few more moments. "ALRIGHT, I'LL TALK! JUST PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!"

Loten put his hands down, letting go of his Force Grip on the man's organs. The man's head hung low as he let out heavy breaths and tears streaming down his eyes.

Loten then turned to Esdeath. "He should be more cooperative. I'll wait outside until you're done with him," he said getting a smile and a nod from Esdeath before going out.

He stood outside for a few moments as he heard some words spoked but didn't focus on them. It stopped when he suddenly heard a loud slashing sound coming from inside. The door then opened to reveal Esdeath who had a disappointed look on her face. Loten peeked inside and saw the man unmoving on the cross with copious amounts of blood seeping down his neck.

"He didn't have any useful information," Esdeath said. "What a waste of my time." She then once again faced Loten. "But I have to admit, that was quite a way to torture someone. I'm impressed."

Loten shrugged. "I have plenty of experience."

"I guess that is one thing we have in common," Esdeath said. "Your abilities are quite useful. Is it possible for them to be taught?"

That got Loten's attention. "Why yes, it is quite possible." Loten then gave her a smirk. "Are you volunteering to be taught?"

"If it will make me even more powerful then why should I not be interested?"

Loten then put his fingers on his chin. "Well, I probably could. But that would have to come later. Right now, I have matters to attend to."

Esdeath was slightly disappointed that he didn't seem to be interested in teaching her but pushed it back. "Like wanting to talk to me?"

"If you'll allow me." She just shrugged and gave him a nod. "I wondered if your title as 'The Empire's Strongest' is well-deserved."

Esdeath grinned and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, you want to test it?"

"I'm just asking. There is no need to get physical about it. Believe me, I can tell when someone lies."

"Hmm, well, no one was able to beat me so far. General Budo is also one powerful man but we never fought to prove which one is the strongest. He wasn't interested when I asked him," Esdeath explained.

So this general Budo is also a powerful figure, thought Loten. Could he be the danger that his ancestor warned him about? He thought Esdeath might be the one since she had significant power, not on his level but still notable, but he sensed no desire to betray him from her.

"That man is all about 'duty to the Empire' and 'getting rid of the corruption plaguing it'. I swear he can sometimes be infuriating."

So he was that type of person. Loten made a note to pay close attention to that man. He wasn't going to let any stone unturned.

"And just where might he be now? I've never seen him around the palace."

Esdeath shrugged dismissively. "On some official business. Not sure what exactly, wasn't interested."

"I see. I hope to meet him soon. He sounds like an interesting person."

"I wouldn't bother. You would probably find him dull with how serious he is." Esdeath then once again focused on him. "But I do have to say, you really interest me."

Loten raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh, how so?"

"You are obviously a powerful and influential man. The abilities you exhibit are very interesting. Throwing people around, shooting lightning, torture." She then gave him a knowing smile. "Mind control."

Loten's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he returned the smile. "Ah, so you noticed."

"I did, but don't worry about it, I'm not going to reveal you. In fact, I'm waiting to see how all of this will turn out."

Loten chuckled at that. So that's how it was. Her loyalty to the Empire was simply because of her own interests, not some loyalty to the Emperor or anything like that considering she didn't mind him using Force Persuasion on him.

"And another thing interests me," she said. "You told us you were a slave here some time ago. Yet here you stand as a powerful man with incredibly high status. That is quite an accomplishment if I ever saw one."

"I'm not sure I would have that position if the Sith lord who found me wasn't in the area when he sensed my potential," Loten said. "After I killed my master all I did was wander around, not knowing what to do. The Sith found me soon after and took me, not before knocking me out so I didn't resist. After that, I found myself within the Sith Empire and put into the Academy for Sith."

"You must have been quite an accomplished student."

"Oh, I was. But it wasn't easy. I spilled sweat and blood in that academy, even more after I left," Loten explained as his mind went back to the times before he got the position on the Dark Council. "And my final test was my greatest achievement."

_Loten was walking through a metallic hallway of the council building where he was about to face a man that has been quite a thorn at his side. His crew was left behind to deal with whatever forces were left to fight him but he wasn't worried as he knew that they would be able to handle it._

_He faced many things before this. He beat the trials at the Sith Academy, he defeated a Darth not too long after he became an apprentice, defeated his master after she tried to put her spirit into his body, became a Sith lord and gained a great military power base._

_But there was one person left to deal with. Darth Thanaton. A Dark Council member, a man who wanted to kill Loten because of the potential he possessed since he rose in ranks so quickly. After many conflicts, Thanaton challenged him formally. He proposed a Kaggath, a contest between Sith that pitted power base against power base._

_After a long conflict on Corellia, Loten went to fight Thanaton himself. He gained an upper hand at their duel, but Thanaton fled stating that Loten 'had no authority to beat him', fueling Loten's anger at him. _

_He then followed Thanaton to Dromund Kaas, the capital of the Sith Empire. And now, within the capital of the Sith and in front of the Dark Council, Thanaton will fall._

_Loten found himself in front of a door which leads to the council chambers. The door opened automatically to reveal a room decorated with red tapestries that had the Empire's symbol on it. In the room were several thrones that were slightly elevated above ground with some stairs leading to the seat. Not all the chairs were filled and only Darth Marr, Mortis, Ravage and Vowran were there in person, with several more as holo images._

_In the middle, addressing the Dark Council stood a middle-aged man with graying dark hair and orange eyes. He was dressed in a lightly armored bodysuit that covered all the way to his neck and along his lower jaw._

_"My lords," Thanaton spoke. "His master was corrupt, _he _is corrupt. Without Sith tradition, we are nothing."_

_"And what are you suggesting we do about it?" Marr asked._

_"You know what the situation requires," Thanaton answered. "Order must be preserved. Punishment meted out. If we are to conquer our enemies, Zash's former apprentice must die."_

_Loten finally made his presence known. "This coward fled the arena on Correlia for the Kaggath. He is mine to kill," Loten said as he glared holes in Thanaton who turned back to him and glared as well._

_"We are well aware of the rules of Kaggath," Darth Mortis said in a somewhat dismissive tone._

_"The Kaggath is a playground game. Murder has no rules," Ravage said._

_"The Kaggath is an honored tradition of the Sith," Thanaton protested. "Tulak Hord competed. Marka Ragnos! Ludo Kressh!"_

_"The question stands," Marr began. "Why has this apprentice, this child, proved impossible for you to kill?"_

_"It's simple," Loten answered. "I beat him at his own game."_

_Thanaton then glared at Loten. "Don't mock me."_

_Ravage then turned to Mortis with an irritated look on his face. "I swear, if you don't silence Thanaton, I will!"_

_"I will not be betrayed. I will not die," Thanaton proclaimed in silent rage as he ignited his red blade. "And when I've killed this slave, you will all answer for it."_

_Loten then took out and ignited his own red blade. This was it. No more running or retreating. No more sending servants or lackeys in his direction. Thanaton dies here._

_Loten moved forward with great speed, slashing at Thanaton but the Darth jumped backwards to avoid the strike and fired a blast of Force Lightning at Loten. The young Sith then put his hand up and used his skill in Tutaminis to absorb the lightning. _

_Once he did, he opened his palm at Thanaton who expected the typical response of lightning being thrown back but Loten instead used it to power a Force Push which caught Thanaton off guard as he was sent skidding back._

_Loten once again quickly closed the distance between them and slashed at Thanaton who blocked the attack with his own lightsaber. Loten then went to deliver a series of powerful but swift strikes that Thanaton was able to block but with noticeable difficulty._

_This was Loten's advantage. While many Sith sorcerer's focused on Force powers first and lightsaber skills second, Loten trained to balance the two. He read on Thanaton and found that he was also quite a good lightsaber duelist in his youth, very proficient with a double-bladed lightsaber. But after fighting him already it was obvious that his style changed over the years, favoring his Force powers over his lightsaber, especially since he now used a single-bladed one._

_Loten pressed on his offensive, trying to get through Thananton's guard but the old Sith was smarter than that, and used a smaller Force Shockwave to move Loten back slightly giving him enough time to put some distance between them._

_Thanaton's hands emanated electricity as he spread his arms, causing a lightning storm to rain down on Loten who quickly moved out of the way of many lightning strikes since he couldn't absorb a constant barrage._

_As the attack came to an end, Loten extended his arm, forming an orb of lighting in front of it and throwing it at his opponent. Thanaton raised his hand to stop the orb in its tracks but once he did it exploded, causing a burst of electricity to form which hit Thanaton and caused him to groan in pain._

_Loten smirked at the result. This was his variation on the Kinetite technique. Instead of just being a lightning projectile he made it so it would explode in a burst of electricity if forcefully stopped. And it paid off._

_He then once again came at Thanaton who got over his shock enough to block Loten's blade with his own but Loten moved their blades aside and delivered a hard kick to Thanaton's chin, causing him to fall down. _

_Just as Loten was about to strike Thanaton quickly shot lighting at him causing Loten to stop and let his lightsaber absorb it. Thanaton went strike with his own lightsaber but Loten deflected the strike and used his own lighting to strike the old Sith which made him groan in pain as he dropped his blade. Loten then used a Force Push to send Thanaton flying._

_Thanaton tried to get up but moaned in pain. He was on his knee and his hand was holding his pained side. He also began panting, already beginning to be exhausted from the fight. He looked up to see Loten standing tall while he was tired and deprived of his weapon._

_"No, I won't be defeated," Thanaton said as he slowly got up. "I can't be."_

_The rest of the Dark Council watched the fight with interest, though Ravage less so as he leaned back into his throne_

_Loten just slowly walked to the man, who obviously wasn't in his prime condition. Thanton then extended his hand and shot some Force Lightning but Loten just swatted it aside, making it hit a wall. Thanaton tried again but was met with the same result._

_Then, to Loten's surprise, Thanaton gathered a huge amount of lighting in his hands and shot it into the air. A bolt of lightning struck Loten from above at surprising speed, making him grunt in pain. It was then followed by another and another, Thanaton also extended his hands a shot a huge stream of lightning at Loten while he was being bombarded._

_This went on for several moments, with Loten being struck from multiple sources. It was obvious that this was Thanaton's final attack as he put so much power into it. A desperate tactic that was currently working. But then Loten called for more power, power he gathered throughout his journey by absorbing Force spirits._

_Loten's eyes glowed purple as he called upon the power within him, his Force shield strengthening making the pain tolerable until he hardly felt anything at all. A short burst of power dispersed the lighting barrages. Loten stood there glaring at Thanaton with his purple eyes. Four ghosts of dead Sith appeared behind him, a dark-skinned man, a hooded pale man, a Togruta and a Sith pureblood._

_Thanaton once again began gathering lightning but Loten used the Force to push him into a wall. He then clenched his fist causing Thanaton to choke. But that wasn't how he was going to defeat Thanaton so he let his grip go which caused the old Sith to fall down._

_Thanaton then used the Force to get his lightsaber back. Igniting it, he ran and swang at Loten but Loten just extended his hand, his power causing Thanaton to stop mid-swing. He then made Thanaton slowly drop to his knees despite the man's struggle, and he soon found himself in a kneeling position with his hands on the ground, furthering his humiliation._

_Thanaton was about to gather whatever power he had left but Loten shot a blast of lightning at him throwing him several meters. The old Sith was now weak and exhausted, only capable of crawling away from Loten, defeated. He made several grunts of pain as he crawled, every nerve felt like it was burning while Loten slowly approached him. _

_Lord Marr, Savage, Mortis, and Vowran soon found themselves walking in front of the downed Thanaton, the defeated and humiliated man only capable of looking at them._

_"I'm sorry, Thanaton," Mortis said in a soft tone as he extended his hand and quickly turning it. Thanaton wasn't able to feel shocked for very long before his head suddenly turned to the side a sound of a neck snapping was heard. Thanaton fell on the ground completely motionless as Mortis looked at him with regret._

_"Good riddance to him," Ravage muttered._

_"He was a better Sith than you give him credit for, Ravage," Marr said._

_"Let us hope his successor is as worthy," Mortis said as he approached the victorious Loten who was slightly annoyed that his kill was taken from him. "My lord, your seat." Mortis gestured towards an empty throne that once belonged to Thanaton._

_Loten actually looked shocked at that. "My lords, I… I wasn't expecting this."_

_"You've just killed a Dark Council member in fair combat. What did you expect?" Marr said._

_"He's only a lord!" Ravage protested. "You can't put a lord on the Dark Council!"_

_"Quiet, Ravage! He's earned his place!" Marr said as he approached Loten. "By order of the Dark Council and in light of your reputation for serving the Empire, you are now Darth Nox." Loten gave a bow before they all went back to their thrones._

_"You are head of the Pyramid of Ancient Knowledge," Marr said to the now seated Loten. "You charged with keeping the mystical knowledge of the Sith and guarding the secrets of our order. With us you are a ruler of all the Sith, answering only to the Emperor himself."_

_Loten sat there smiling. This was a goal he never thought he would achieve. Since his life as a slave, he thought he was destined for ruin, but now he sat alongside the most powerful people in this galaxy. From a slave to a master, this was a journey that would surely be remembered through the annals of history._

"Hey, are you alright?" Esdeath asked as she saw Loten suddenly seeming to be deep in thought after he told her what he went through.

Loten blinked before shaking his head, stopping his path down the memory lane. "Sorry about that, my mind was in the past."

"I see," Esdeath said as she looked at his face which now went back to its usual confident expression instead of a thoughtful one.

"Say, why don't we talk somewhere more… atmospheric," Loten suggested before gesturing around them. "This place hardly seems like a proper."

Esdeath just shrugged. "Fine then, Loten."

Loten blinked before smirking at her. "Oh, we're on the first name basis now?"

"Is there a problem with that?" she asked with a smirk of her own.

"No, none at all." And with that, the two departed from the Torture chambers.

* * *

Up at the far North, Danek once stood in the icy plains of his former home. He was standing in front of a military outpost that belonged to the Thousand Year Empire which they left after his sister has conquered it.

He was now dressed in his Jedi armor which consisted of metallic platings on his chest, thighs and pelvic area, with metal boots and gauntlets, all placed above a brown bodysuit and a white robe that was put over them.

It was time to begin the plan he discussed with the commanders of the Revolutionary army.

_Back at the HQ of the revolutionary army, Lorag has gathered the rest of his commanders to discuss Danek's plan. They were all gathered around a table where other meetings were held._

_Some of them weren't really convinced. "Have you lost your mind, Lorag?!" one of the female commanders exclaimed. "Even if we believe this guy's story," she said gesturing towards Danek. "What makes you think he is capable of single-handedly taking out every Imperial military outpost in the North."_

_"Unless he is as powerful as Esdeath I don't see this plan working," another commander protested._

_The plan Danek proposed was simple. He would go to the North to liberate it by destroying the military outposts located there which would lure out his sister and her forces back to the North leaving the Imperial Capital weakened for an attack from the Revolutionary Army. The fact that the North was a recent conquering and thus not fully integrated into the Empire would force the Emperor's hand to send Esdeath to reclaim it back. Of course, there were people skeptical about this plan._

_"I assure you, I'm more than capable," Danek said. "All I have to do is go North and begin this stage of the plan. The news should spread quickly enough for you to catch them. That should prove that I was successful and it would be a perfect opportunity for your forces to invade the capital."_

_"That sounds a bit too good to be true," said one of the younger commanders._

_"Trust me, you have nothing to lose," Danek explained. "If I'm successful I give you an opportunity to end this war early, and if I die then you just proceed with the plan you had before."_

_After some more discussing Danek was allowed to go and try his plan. Right now he was near the entrance of the HQ which they used to get in in the first place with an Air Manta waiting for him._

_The members of Night Raid were also there to send him off._

_"Are you sure you can do this?" Najenda asked with her arms crossed._

_"Certain," Danek said simply._

_Leone chuckled. "Well, at least he's confident."_

_"Farewell to you all," Danek said as he was about to mount the creature. "We may not see each other in a while."_

_"Wait a moment," Najenda said making Danek look at her. She walked in front of him and smiled. "Before you go, there is something I need to say." She gestured him to lean closer which he did. She then surprised him by giving him a kiss on the cheek. The rest of Night Raid also looked in shock, Lubbock especially with him looking almost ready to cry. "Just something for good luck."_

_Danek smiled at that. "Thank you," he said before mounting the Air Manta and flying off. As he was flying north he was certain he heard Lubbock scream 'Oh, come on!' causing him to chuckle and feel pity for the young man._

Danek was now walking closer to the outpost. He put on the hood of his robe on his head and gained a serious expression.

It was time to start taking back his ancestral from the clutches of a tyrannical Empire.

And to finally meet with his sister after all this time.

* * *

**AN: And that's it! The fight between the Sith Inquisitor and Darth Thanaton was something I really wanted to write and I had a great time writing it. I hope you enjoyed it as well. And now the two plots are coming together. I hope you are excited to see it. And I hope that moment with Najenda and Danek didn't catch you by surprise too much.**

**And once again, I hope that you leave a review on this fic. I would very much like to hear your thoughts on it.**

**I hope you enjoyed. See you next time!**


	9. 8 Kill the Siblings

A Look to the Past

**AN: Happy Holidays, my readers! I was actually planning on releasing The Stranded Barbarian chapter next but the new movie got me into a mood for writing this story, so sorry for those people who were waiting for that one but I PROMISE that I will do next time.**

**And to give my thoughts on The Rise of Skywalker movie: I didn't like it. I appreciate the effort of trying to undo the damage that The Last Jedi did but it also made many plotholes, it moved faster than that 'lightspeed skipping' that they suddenly invented for the movie, and there were so many contrivances that didn't help the movie's plot. And the sudden rise in power level was also jarring. As a fan of the Star Wars EU I'm no stranger to Force users doing something even bigger, but the Disney canon never had that so seeing such a thing in the movie was strange. It doesn't feel like a proper end to the Skywalker saga.**

**But enough of my ranting. Time for reviews.**

**Dracus6: I'm sorry to say, that's not how it's going to happen. And sorry, but I have other things planned and I'm not really open to any more ideas.**

* * *

8 Kill the Siblings

Screams of shock and surprise came as soldiers were sent hurling through the air and landing into the snow. The moment they got up they started running away, several stumbling clumsily as they ran from their outpost.

"Several more were sent hurling as in the middle of the outpost stood Danek with an outstretched hand, his hood still obscuring his head. The outpost was in an absolute mess, with several towers damaged, the main door completely obliterated, debris consisting of stone and wood littered the area, remains of metal weapons and armor could also be seen.

He already dealt with most of if not all of the outposts of the Thousand-Year Empire as he couldn't find any other stationed within the North territory. And most of the conflicts went more or less the same ways as this one.

One of the soldiers, one of the few who were still there had a sniper rifle in hands and aimed it at Danek. The shot rang through the air as the bullet went towards Danek's head but suddenly seemingly bounced off an invisible barrier making the soldier look at him in shock.

Danek then held his hand up and the rifle flew out of the man's hands and into Danek's. The soldier, scared for his life, began running away through the smashed door followed by the other soldiers who stayed but lost the last bit of courage they had at that moment. The neighing of horses could be heard as soldiers rode the few that were left to escape their lone assailant.

Danek looked at the retreating men before closing his eyes and focusing. His Force Sense didn't detect any soldier within the outpost, meaning they fled or were dead. But he could sense the many signatures gathered in a single place, all of them within the same place, the main building of the outpost.

He dropped the rifle on the snow and entered the building. It was time to do another thing that was common in these fights.

He soon found the stairs leading to the basement and walked down. At the bottom his he opened a wooden door which led into the prison that was located in the building. Within the cages, he saw several dozen men, women, and children. All of them dressed in standard clothing and few men were in armor, indicating that they were soldiers that fought against the Empire. Against his sister.

The feeling that permeated the place was fear, with some outright looking scared, some curled up on the floor while others, mainly children, were comforted by adults. No doubt they heard the commotion he caused.

One of the prisoners, a brown-haired man dressed as a soldier stood up and walked at the bars of his cell. "W-who are you?" he asked with a shaky voice. "Are you… here to free us?" The man held some hope as he looked at Danek who smiled beneath his hood. Several other prisoners looked at him in anticipation

"Indeed I am," Danek answered as he put his hand up and made a waving motion. A sound of tearing metal could be heard as the cells opened with the locks on them being broken. The people looked in amazement before standing up and getting out of their cells. Many came up to him and gave him their thanks all of which he respectfully accepted.

Another soldier, an older one than the one from before, came up to Danek. "We thank you for freeing us, stranger. But we can't just leave this place. These people will need food and clothing. The nearest village is a long distance away."

"Don't worry," Danek said in a reassuring tone. "This place has enough provisions for several hundred men. These people will have more than enough for the trip." He then turned to the rest of the group. "Now, come on, follow me! It's time to leave this place."

And with that, Danek led the now freed prisoners out of the outpost. After some time of walking through the vast snow and with his personal protection, they were able to reach the village without much of a problem. They were greeted warmly by the villagers as this wasn't the only group that was brought here by Danek.

Danek smiled as he watched the people rejoicing at their freedom and the villagers for seeing more people brought out of the clutches of the Thousand-Year Empire. This wasn't the first time he had done something like this but it never stopped to bring him joy at seeing the people he saved happy again. And the fact that this happened at the place he used to call his home has made it a more personal victory.

An elderly man dressed in furs came to him, a man that introduced himself before as Laki, the chief of the village. The man seemed to radiate happiness. "I thank you again for saving these people from their unfair imprisonment. You truly are a spark of hope in these dark times."

"No thanks are necessary, chief. I'm only doing my job," Danek explained. "But there is still one thing that I need to do. The Empire will surely no doubt send Esdeath back to the North to reclaim it since there is no one left guarding it." Seeing the worried look on the chief's face Danek smiled reassuringly and put a hand on his shoulder. "But don't worry, I'll deal with her myself. These lands will not fall back in the Empire's hands."

Laki put his head down sighed after hearing those words. "Oh, how I wish I could be as hopeful now, but if you didn't know our own leader Nume Seika, the one who united the tribes in the North also held the belief that he would be able to battle her. And she took care of him easily."

"I understand your concern, but once again I assure you, I will emerge victorious."

"If I may ask," Laki said as he once again looked up at Danek. "Who are you, young man? You never introduced yourself."

Yeah, that was another thing that he decided to do. He didn't want to reveal who he is too early, wanting his actions to prove that he is trustworthy. Something he learned would be necessary in these parts. He saw that there even more people behind the chief, also curious about who exactly was he.

"Very well," Danek said as he pulled down his hood, letting his features be visible and making some people gasp. "I am Danek of the Partas clan."

The moment he said that people were shocked and outright confused. They heard of Esdeath being a part of the Partas clan, and the last surviving member as far as they've heard and some even heard what she looked like so seeing Danek's long blue hair and eyes fit the description.

The chief also looked shocked at this and stared at Danek for a few moments before speaking. "Then… you and Esdeath…"

"She is my sister," Danek said making some of villagers gasp. "And I'm here to right the wrongs of my sister. I'll be the one to stop her and bring the end to the Empire's injustice. That I swear." Danek then turned around. "I have to go. It will soon be time for me to confront her. I'm glad that I was able to help. And goodbye for now."

And with that, he began running towards a certain direction only known to him while the villagers still had to get over what they heard and saw.

"Well… that was something," one of them said."

"Yes, it was," Laki said before smiling. "Perhaps there is hope after all." He then addressed the villagers. "We have to spread the word. A man from the Partas clan is going to fight on behalf of the North and fight Esdeath. We have to tell other people that there is still hope!"

After a while, people actually gained happier expression and some began cheering. To them, it really was a hopeful situation. And now they were going to share that hope with others.

* * *

At the Imperial palace, Loten and Esdeath were engaged in a discussion on some war tactics and battle strategies. They were currently standing in the throne room with Emperor Makoto seated on his throne. They were called because there was some emergency report that they need to hear.

And while they waited they decided to spend time talking to each other. Esdeath had to admit that the man was really knowledgeable when it came to battle, something she very much appreciated.

However, some time into their discussion she noticed something. Loten seemed to be… staring at her. "Is there something interesting on my face that you suddenly started staring?" she asked causing Loten to blink a bit more rapidly for a moment.

"Oh, excuse me about that. It wasn't my intention," he said. He honestly wasn't sure why but for some reason Esdeath seemed… familiar somehow. He couldn't exactly put his finger on where.

Just as Esdeath was about to say something the door opened revealing a commander hurrying in front of the throne and bowing. "Your highness, we have terrible news.

"Speak! What is going on?" Emperor Makoto asked.

"Most of our outposts at the North have been destroyed!" the commander exclaimed making the people inside the throneroom look surprised. "And it was all done by one man!" That statement made people look even more surprised, Makoto especially.

Loten was very much intrigued by this unexpected turn of events. He heard how formidable the North was on this planet and Esdeath was able to easily take it over despite that fact. But now a single person was able to destroy most of the outposts that were put there. That may cause some issues in his conquering of this planet.

While Esdeath was shocked at what she heard she also felt… excitement. With all the unsatisfying battles she had this seemed like something actually worth her time. After she heard how Numa Seika was supposed to be one of the greatest warriors in the world and she took him out in almost no time at all. She now hoped this wasn't yet another fluke.

Suddenly, another soldier came in running before bowing next to the commander. "I'm sorry for the interruption but we just received more news! It would seem that even the last of our outposts have been destroyed!"

Makoto seemed to be devastated at the news. Their victory over the North was one of the Empire's greatest and now someone came and more or less undone it? "Uh… that's… horrible news." He then turned to Loten, not sure on what to do. "L-lord Nox, how should we proceed?"

Loten looked at the nervous boy, seeing the struggle that still permeated in his mind, a normal thing considering he was still a child. "It's simple, your highness. The North needs to be reclaimed," Loten said before turning to Esdeath. "General Esdeath, you should take some of your forces and the Jaegers to the North so you can battle this nuisance. You should depart shortly."

Esdeath raised her brow at that. "Are you sure that will be necessary? I think I'm more than enough to take care of this man myself," she said with a smile, her hand resting the handle of her rapier.

"While your confidence is admiring I think that you should still bring backup with you, just in case," Loten said. He wasn't sure just how big of a threat this man was, assuming it was indeed one man and while Esdeath was very capable he was going for the 'better safe than sorry' route. He would also send once of his apprentices but he wasn't sure if that would be really necessary.

"Y-yes, he speaks the truth," Makoto said as he looked at Esdeath. "General, you should take your troops and your Jaegers with you. We can't afford to lose the North so quickly after conquering it."

Esdeath then walked in front of the Emperor and bowed. "As you wish, your highness. I'll depart at once," she said before rising and casting one last look at Loten. "And I'm certain that the lack of my presence or that of my Jaegers won't endanger the safety of the Capital?"

Loten gave the woman a smile. "I assure you, Ashara, Xalek and I are more than capable of defending this city. You can put your worries at ease."

Esdeath then smiled back at him. "Then I'll take my leave."

* * *

At the HQ of the Revolutionary Army Lorag along with his commanders, which included Najedna, were seated around the table in the meeting as one of their Army members arrived with a report.

"One of our contacts in the Capital city brings big news," he said. "It would appear that Imperial outposts in the North have been destroyed and the Empire is sending Esdeath along with her troops and her Jaegers to reclaim the North."

Once the news reached their ears their reactions followed not too long after.

"Well I'll be damned, that son of a bitch pulled it off!" exclaimed one of the commanders

"I don't believe it," a female commander said.

Najenda just smiled. She was happy that her faith in Danek was justified. Though she was worried as to how he would fare against Esdeath, if his words held true now she was somewhat assured he would end up fine.

"Great news!" Lorag said before turning to Najenda. "Go and gather your team. We need to perform one more assassination before attacking the Capital. You know which one."  
"Understood, sir!" Najenda said before leaving the room.

"Alright, everyone, get our forces ready! It would appear our attack is happening much sooner!"

* * *

Danek walked across the snowy field near the place where his tribe was located. His memories once again returning due to the familiarity he had with it.

To think he hasn't set foot on this place for a decade. But he could remember some events as if they happened yesterday, all the times he spent training or hunting with his family and clan members. He ever remembered teaching Esdeath on a hunt.

_Danek and Esdeath were out hunting. Then eleven-year-old Esdeath was the one who wanted to see what hunting Danger Beasts was like so she asked her parents if they could show her. Her father was more than happy to do so but her mother argued differently, saying Danek should be the one to take her and set her an example since he only recently passed his test. Their father agreed though reluctantly._

_The two siblings were now standing in front of a downed Danger Beast. It was a lizard-like monster with black scales, and bleeding from its side while Danek stood over it with a bloodied blade._

_Esdeath looked at her brother in awe as he took out the beast in almost no time at all. She happily skipped over to her Danek. "That was incredible, big brother!"_

_Danek's head quickly turned towards her in worry. "Esdeath, wait!"_

_The downed beast suddenly leaped at the young girl who now looked surprised and frightened. But before the creature could go too far Danek stabbed it through the neck with his sword. The beast gurgled blood before falling back down, dead this time._

_Esdeath stood there frozen in place, her breathing more labored due to what happened. But relief soon found her as she let out a deep breath._

_Danek then put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Esdeath, you should be careful. These creatures are smarter than they look. You need to pay attention to their body language to see if they are faking their condition."_

_"Oh, I…" she gave one last deep breath so she could completely relax. "Thank you, Danek. I'll make sure to remember that. I won't let a Danger Beast catch me by surprise again."_

_Danek smiled before patting his sister on the head. "Good to hear. Now, let's come back home and take this thing with us."_

A smile was also on Danek's face in the present as he remembered what happened. He looked back fondly on all the moments he had with his sister, memories that he cherished even more since… that day happened.

He shook his head. He needed to focus on what was going on right now. He stopped walking and kneeled down, with his hands resting on his thighs and closed his eyes. He began meditating, letting himself feel the currents of the Force flowing through him.

All he had to do now was to wait.

* * *

Esdeath stood at one of the outposts that were destroyed. After spending days marching to the North with her troops she looked over several of them already.

She had to admit she was impressed. While the outposts weren't raised to the ground, there were many collapsed towers, torn down walls and miniature craters embedded in the ground. Some might think that a giant creature attacked or someone used explosives in the fight.

Whoever that was, he was certainly powerful. From what she understood this person did it in short succession, meaning the person barely took any breaks.

"General Esdeath," she heard Run calling out to her.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"There is something you see," he told her before leading her towards one of the walls. "There is something written for you."

Esdeath took a look at something that was carved into the wall.

It read 'Esdeath, come back home'.

Her Jaegers, who were currently more appropriately dressed for the weather were with her and read the message as well.

"What do you think this means, general?" Wave asked.

Esdeath pondered on it for a moment. What was this attacker trying to say? To come back to the Empire? No, that surely wasn't the case. The message had more meaning than that, she was sure of it. The way it was written was that of some sort of familiarity. Perhaps it was something more personal.

She took a moment to think about it. Then it clicked.

She turned to her Jaegers. "I know where our mystery person located," she said before smiling. "And it's time we paid him a visit."

* * *

Bolic was running for his life as he was currently being chased by Night Raid. He was put as a spy in the Path of Peace religious circle by the Prime Minister. The religion preached pacifism and he was sent to kill their leader so he could take his place. But it would appear that he was discovered.

He had the Rakshasa Demons, a group of people trained to fight wielders of Imperial Arms defending him but they were defeated or occupied by Night Raid. With no one defending him, he decided to flee.

He to a secret tunnel that was located within one of the Path of Peace temples. He ran as fast as he could, hoping the path wasn't discovered. His hopes were dashed as he saw Akame standing in front of him with her sword ready.

"Eliminate," she spoke softly before seemingly disappearing from Bolic's sight. Bolic then suddenly felt pain in his chest. Looking down he saw Akame in front of him with her sword embedded in his chest. Black marks started to appear on his body, the poison they carried ensuring his death.

Bolic then fell down, dead.

Akame looked down at the man's body with an emotionless expression, not feeling any pity for the man she killed. They needed support from the Path of Peace and this man was in the way of that.

She quickly ran from there to rejoin her comrades. Now that the threat to the Path of Peace was eliminated it was time for them to attack the Capital.

* * *

Esdeath was now walking with her troops across a snowy field, her memory leading her to a spot she knew this person was located at. Everyone else wasn't sure where she was going but they weren't going to question her.

They walked for several more minutes before Esdeath noticed something. She could see a person through the snowy weather, though for others it was hard to tell as the person wore white robes, but it was clear to Esdeath. This was definitely the person responsible for all this mess. Her excitement was starting to show on her face.

They closed the distance until there were only about a dozen meters between Esdeath and the person who she now saw was in a kneeling position and seemed pretty relaxed. Was he, she could tell it was a man, really that confident that the sight of her and her army wasn't all that worrying? He did call for her after all so he probably was. She also noticed the strange armor he wore. It did not cover the whole body, obviously made for balancing protection and great mobility.

"I knew that you would understand my message," the person finally spoke in a voice that sounded familiar to Esdeath. He then rose from his meditating position which made her Jaegers go on the offensive but Esdeath put her hand up to relax them.

"So I did," she said, her face adorned with an amused smile. "Though, you must be familiar with my past to phrase the message like that and lead me to the place where my clan was located. Who are you exactly?"

"I honestly thought you would recognize me just from my voice," the person said before he sighed. "But I supposed that was one of the things you would forget about me." He pulled down his hood, letting the long hair flow, the blue color was of a familiar shade to Esdeath. Her eyes widened for a moment as she thought she was looking at her father, but looking closely she could make out the facial features and saw that it wasn't him, but another person she thought was dead, her brother Danek.  
"Nice to see you again, sister," Danek said as he took in the sight of the sister he hasn't seen in a decade. She had grown into quite a woman, resembling their mother in many aspects, except for height.

Her subordinates, however, couldn't contain their surprise.

"Wait what!" was shouted by both Wave and Seryu.

"Oh dear!" came from Bols.

Kurome and Run were shocked but stood in silence, with Kurome feeling some twinge of familiarity coming from this situation.

Esdeath was silent for a moment, still processing what she just heard. If she had to admit, she had forgotten about her brother for some time. Her memories of him suddenly were resurfacing after a long time. A smile was brought back to her face. "Well, I honestly wasn't expecting this," she said, her words not reflecting that she was reunited with family. "I thought you were dead."

"Hm, funny, I thought the same thing," Danek said. "And is this really the greeting you give your long lost brother? I honestly expected a warmer welcome." Then he looked around at their snowy surroundings. "Though, I suppose that in these parts that would be a bit harder."

Wave actually chuckled at that. "Well, at least he has a sense of humor," he whispered to his teammates but they were more focused on the two siblings.

"So you were the one causing this entire ruckus," Esdeath said as she crossed her arms. "So, are you ready to fight me?"

"Danek's eyes slightly narrowed. "You are already resorting to violence, dear sister? Aren't even a little curious about how I'm alive?"

Esdeath just shrugged her shoulders. "You could have escaped from the attack, you probably weren't there. There are other options but I'm not all that interested." She then reached for her rapier and pulled it out. "But all this definitely means that you probably aren't as weak as our father said." She then pointed her rapier at him. "I craved a real challenge for so long. Can you give it to me, brother?"

"Esdeath, please," Danek began as his features softened. "Don't make me fight you. I finally see you alive after all these years. Do you really think that I want to harm you?"

Bols then walked a bit closer to Esdeath. As a family man himself, he did not want things to escalate violently between the Partas siblings. "Please, general Esdeath, there has to be a better way to handle this. He is your brother, surely you can just resolve this by talking."

"Esdeath turned at the large man. "Sorry, Bols. But I can't just do that," she once again looked at her brother. "But he just attacked the proud soldiers of the Empire, almost cost us one of the greatest victories and dealt many casualties. All that is punishable by death. We shouldn't let our personal feelings get in the way." A wide smile now stretched across her face. Her hypocrisy was not lost on her as she definitely wouldn't be so eager to do such a thing on the people she cared about but she wanted a challenge. "But I will give him a chance to defend himself."

"Esdeath, I beg you," Danek said. "Stop this before it gets out of hand. Do you really think this is what our mother would have wanted? Her children killing each other?"

Even other Jaegers felt something about this situation, but they knew that the decision would fall on Esdeath.

"Our mother is dead," Esdeath simply said. "She died because she was weak."

At that statement, Danek lost the softness on his face. "Do you really still follow our father's pathetic philosophy? Even after he was killed by people not as strong as he was? Our mother was stronger than he ever was."

"They both died, which means both of them were weak," she said, her stance not changing since she took it. "And I'll see if you are weak as well."

"Sister, please see reason," Danek urged on. "If that is your line of thought than anyone below your power could be considered weak. Moreover, a weaker person can defeat a stronger if the conditions are right. Esdeath, our father was wrong. Your philosophy is wrong." He then stretched out his hand, as if expecting his sister to take it. "Please, listen to me. Turn away from this path you're walking, it can only lead you astray. Come with me, and let's be a family like we were supposed to be before our father came between us."

There were a few moments of silence. Those few moments gave Danek a bit of hope while the Jaegers were eagerly anticipating. Esdeath just stood there silently. Then she started chuckling.

"I'm sorry, brother, but this is really amusing," she said through her chuckles. "You aren't going to change me. It was foolish thinking you ever could. If you die, then you were just weak. That is simply a fact. Now pick a weapon and fight me, or are you really going to make this boring for me?"

Danek's expression turned to the one of distress, something he did not bother hiding. He knew that it would come to this, that she would not listen to him, that their father's influence was too deep. However, he held hope, hope that she would listen, that he would not need to hurt the only family by blood he had. Though it would appear, he hoped for too much.

"I see. So you refuse to listen," he said before his eyes narrowed and his expression became a determined one. "Fine then! If strength is the only thing you know, then I'll let my strength speak for me."

He then opened the palm of his outstretched hand.

Kurome felt something shaking on her hip before her katana suddenly flew from its sheath, causing her to yelp and other Jaegers and even Esdeath to look surprised. The sword then flew at Danek who grabbed it by the handle and got into a battle stance, both hands on the handle with the blade pointed upwards at an angle.

"Come, sister," he told her as she looked in shock at what happened. "If this is the only way to make you listen then I'll take it."

* * *

**AN: And that is it for this chapter! Our Jedi Knight has finally reunited with his sister and is now going to fight her. And the Revolutionary Army is planning on attacking the Capital soon. How will the fight between brother and sister turn out? How will our Sith deal with the invasion of the Capital? You'll see in the next chapter.**

**Thank you all for your time, and please leave a review to tell me what you think. See you next time!**


	10. 9 Kill the War

A Look to the Past

**AN: Hello there, my faithful readers. In this chapter, I hope you are ready for some brother and sister action (yes, I phrased it that way on purpose). And this is the longest chapter I've written for this story yet. It's pretty much mostly action so I hope you like that.**

**Now to reviews.**

**Dracus6: Thank you. Glad you understand.**

**NightBringer325: Well, you'll just have to see how this unfolds.**

**keybladelight: Sorry, but I don't plan on writing anything like that. I'd rather not have to deal with Mortis Trio. As for will those two be together, you'll have to wait until I finish to find out.**

**The reason he uses it will be explained in this chapter.**

**And you will.**

* * *

9 Kill the War

Loten stood in his study in his dimly lit study, overlooking some documents which may hold some more information on his family's involvement in the development of this planet. What he found was minimal, if anything at all. He got some names that had the last name Kallig but nothing giving any indication that it was his own family or someone who just had the same name since people with different bloodlines having the same last name is a possibility with how much time passed since they landed here.

Nevertheless, he recorded anything he could in his own personal Holocron which will soon find itself in his library. But he was still certain there might be some more information since he hasn't looked through all the documentation.

While reading one of the many books he gathered on his table, he stopped as something assaulted his senses. He blinked before looking away from the book and putting it down, as he suddenly felt a shift in the Force.

Then something began probing his mind through the Force, a familiar signature which he allowed through.

_"__Master, we have a problem," _came the voice of Ashara as she reached Loten through telepathy.

_"__What is it?" _Loten asked.

_"__There is an army heading towards the capital. We think it's the Revolutionary Army. They are beginning to attack!"_

Loten's eyes widened at that. The Revolutionary Army? Now? He didn't expect them to attack so soon. In fact, why would they? He was sure that the reputation of general Esdeath would be enough to put them at bay for at least.

Unless… they knew she wasn't here!

Of course, now it made sense. That attack on the North was only a distraction to lure Esdeath away from the capital and significantly weaken their forces, and since she was gone they used the opportunity to launch a direct attack and end this war quickly.

Loten then smiled. That would have no doubt been a successful maneuver. However, with him, Ashara and Xalek here that attack is doomed to fail.

_"__Very well then,"_ Loten said. _"We'll meet them head-on. You and Xalek prepare. I'll inform the Emperor and mobilize our forces here. Make sure to give those rebels a good trashing."_

_"__Very well. See you on the battlefield."_

Loten then retreated from his study and made a straight line towards the throne room. He shouldn't keep the Emperor waiting.

* * *

Danek was now facing Esdeath with Yatsufusa held firmly in his hands, his eyes narrowed as he looked towards his sister who was facing him with her rapier drawn. The cold winds picked up, making their hair flow as snow surrounded them.

Esdeath still looked shocked, as did the rest after what they saw. Danek just now pulled Kurome's weapon from the sheath with some invisible force which seemed similar to what Loten was using. Could he also possess the same power?

Esdeath's look of shock soon settled down before turning into a grin, and shortly after a small laugh. "Tell me, brother, do you even know what that is?" she asked amusingly at Danek's seeming ignorance of the properties of the Imperial Arm.

"March of the Dead: Yatsufusa, an Imperial Arm capable of reanimating corpses and using them as puppets," Danek said, remembering what he read in the book about Imperial Arms that Najenda gave him.

"Oh, so you know what it is. I'm impressed," Esdeath commented. "Then I also assume that you know that only the chosen user of an Imperial Arm can use it."

Kurome then snapped out of her shock. Her lips were quivering and her arms were shaking, and nothing of that was because of the cold. "My… my sword," she muttered under her breath. Her expression turned into a glare and her fists tightened. "My sword! Give it back!"

Danek's attention now turned to the black-haired girl. "I'm sorry, but I cannot do that. This blade is a perversion of life and the greatest insult to the deceased. It's staying with me," he said. "And my sister told me to pick up a weapon, and I chose this one."

"No! That sword is mine," Kurome screamed as tears welled up in her eyes. "This sword brought back my friends! Without it, my sister will never be with me!"

"Oh, Kurome," Bols said sadly as he looked at the young girl who was on the verge of bawling her eyes out.

"Listen to her, you asshole!" Wave chimed in, also glaring at Danek with his own Imperial Arm almost activated. He was willing to defend his friend. "You can't even use that sword! What's the point in using it?"

Danek gave a sigh. He knew how Kurome felt, Akame explained that much to him. She explained that Kurome wanted to kill Akame so she could be brought back with Yatsufusa, and so they could be together forever. It was a twisted way of looking at it, and Danek was utterly repulsed by it. "I'm sorry, Kurome. But this sword doesn't bring back the dead. It only makes them obey you. Their personalities are lost, and nothing that made them what they are remains."

"Liar!" Kurome once again screamed.

Before she could make a retort Esdeath decided to interrupt. "Enough," she said before turning back to look at Kurome with an assuring smile. "Don't worry, once I defeat him, I'll bring Yatsufusa back to you. I promise."

Kurome actually smiled at that. "Th-thank you, general."

Esdeath nodded before turning back to Danek. "No more delays," she said before pointing her rapier. "Let us fight already. I won't stop you from using that sword but don't blame me once it fails you."

Danek just stood in his fighting stance with Yatsufusa at the ready. Normally he would wield his lightsaber but he felt that it would be a bit overkill in this situation. Besides, he didn't want to use the weapon against his own sister.

Esdeath then dashed forward with the speed that made it seem like she was disappearing as the snow beneath her slightly exploded. She closed the distance between herself and her brother in a fraction of a second, her rapier in a position to stab Danek through his torso. Danek responded just as swiftly. The moment she was close enough he caught her stab with Yatsufusa and pushed her weapon away from him. Twisting his blade back he made a slashing motion. Esdeath quickly moved her rapier and blocked the attack, surprised with the amount of strength it held.

Danek then swiftly went for another slash but this time Esdeath darted back and avoided the strike. Her smile was back as she looked at her opponent. "Impressive. Not only were you able to keep up but also effectively counter."

The Jaegers were also impressed. General Esdeath was known as the Empire's strongest for a reason. Her strength and speed were unmatched, and to see someone keep up with her even a little was impressive, especially since they weren't sure that any one of them would have been as successful as Danek was in responding to that attack.

"But playtime is over," Esdeath said before moving at the speed that was twice as fast as before. She rapidly stabbed and slashed at her brother but he was able to parry and derail any attack thrown at him, matching his sister's speed.

Danek then avoided the last slash before countering with his own, with Esdeath responding in kind. The two blades met in a loud clash of steel, with force so strong it sent a shockwave that dispersed much of the snow around them.

They held their blade lock for a few more moments, their blades scratching against each other before disengaging and once again putting distance between them.

They once again had a staredown, with Esdeath looking pleased while Danek looked serious. "I have to say, you did far better than I thought you would."

"Glad I could impress you," Danek said. "But now…" He then held Yatsufusa in front of him, his legs spread slightly as he crouched slightly forward. "…it's my turn."

Danek then moved forward, his speed surpassing anything that has been shown before. Esdeath's eyes widened as she slightly gasped. She swiftly moved her rapier upward, barely blocking the incoming attack. Danek didn't stop there, moving at matching speed he delivered many strikes at Esdeath, his strikes going at her torso, stomach, legs, and head, all of which was barely blocked by Esdeath who still looked with a wide-eyed shocked expression.

Esdeath moved her head back to avoid another incredibly fast attack. She parried another attack with her rapier before ducking from another and pointing her sword upwards causing Danek to move away from the thrust as he jumped a few meters back.

Esdeath then stood up straight, actually needing to catch her breath after that exchange. Those attacks were not only fast but also very strong, her arms still felt numb. She then felt something warm trickling down her cheek. She brought her middle and index finger on her cheek before looking at them, seeing they were covered in blood.

Her blood.

The Jaegers stood there with wide eyes and open mouths.

"No… way," Wave said softly.

"That was… incredible," Run said.

To see someone not only matching Esdeath but forcing her on the defensive and even drawing first blood. They wouldn't have believed it if they hadn't seen it for themselves.

"Don't worry, my friends," Seryu said in a confident tone. "This is only a temporary setback. General Esdeath is on the side of Justice, and Justice always prevails." Koro barked in agreement.

"But, Yatsufusa," Bols began. "He is still holding it. The sword is not rejecting him."

The Jaegers then noticed that what he was saying is true. Danek was still holding Yatsufusa in his hand like it was a regular sword. It should have dropped out of his hands shortly after he began using it but seemingly nothing happened. His grip was still firm.

Kurome was shocked was actually shocked the most. For Yatsufusa to bond with you you would have to accept its nature, to find the notion of reanimating corpses as a beautiful thing. But this man obviously didn't hold those beliefs, so how was he using it?

"Surrender, Esdeath," Danek said before pointing his sword in his sister's direction. "I don't want this to escalate any further. You're outmatched. So let's end this before I end up seriously hurting you."

Esdeath didn't respond, still looking at the blood on her fingers. Suddenly, a wide smile appeared on her face before her expression became the one of excitement, completely forgetting he shouldn't be able to wield that sword by now. "Surrender," she said in a mocking tone, disgusted by the mere mention of the word. She then shot Danek a piercing gaze. "Why would I surrender now of all times, brother? In fact, this is the time I would least consider surrendering." She quickly wiped the blood flowing down her cheek. "This is the moment I've been waiting for. A worthy opponent, someone who could finally give me a challenge. And you think I'm going to surrender?!"

"Esdeath," Danek said threateningly.

"No, dear brother. I won't surrender," she said before once again getting battle-ready. "This time all the gloves are off! You'll now face my true power!"

A small vortex of wind appeared around Esdeath, making her hair flutter wildly as a bright blue aura surrounded her.

Danek only groaned and got ready to fight again. He should have known it wasn't going to be this easy.

* * *

"March forward! Don't let them catch their breath!" Najenda sounded the order as the Revolutionary Army soldiers advanced on the Imperial Capital.

They've been attacking the capital for an hour now. And they were very successful as well. Their sudden attack made imperials unprepared to take them on. The best they could do was begin civilian evacuation but not enough time properly mobilize.

Najenda saw just how dependent the Empire was on Esdeath. If she were here then such an attack would be impossible to properly pull off, but since she was busy in the North it was made a whole lot easier.

They were also fortunate that general Budo wasn't currently in the capital, that man was almost as dangerous as Esdeath but more manageable.

Their attack still wasn't easy, however. Despite the Empire's forces being depleted due to Esdeath taking her troops with her, they were still formidable, which is why the attack lasted for over an hour. But that wouldn't matter for long.

Even if it takes a while their forces will eventually overwhelm the Empire's and they will soon be able to take over the Imperial Capital and end this conflict once and for all.

Her mind went back to the person who made this possible, Danek of the Partas clan. To think that someone related to Esdeath of all people would more or less drop the opportunity on their laps for such an occasion. He gave them the means of ending this war early and with a lot less effort.

Najenda slightly blushed as she remembered the kiss she gave him a while ago. She had to admit that he was a very attractive man. Not to mention he was quite a capable fighter and strategist. The fact that he loved his puns as much as she did helped too. She honestly couldn't wait until this was over and talk to him again.

She then once again looked over the battlefield. Their forces have almost breached the wall and the Imperial army was being pushed back. There was also another factor that was crucial to their victory. And that was her own team.

* * *

Susanoo and Tatsumi were on the front lines, helping the Revolutionary soldiers fight of the Imperial Army.

Susanoo swung his staff around, hitting many soldiers, a stone expression on his face. His attacks came so swiftly that the soldiers didn't see it coming before they were sent flying, bones broken, and skulls crushed or simply dead on impact.

Tatsumi was in his Incursio armor, using his spear to cut down and stab soldiers at impressive speeds as well. If he was being honest, he was happy that this was happening. They can finally end this stupid war, and no one else would have to die.

The two powerhouses plowed through many soldiers in their way as they advanced further in the capital.

* * *

Leone, using her Imperial Arm Lionel, was chocking one of the more important corrupt nobles that contributed to this war. Her furry hands wrapped tightly around the man's throat as he tried to pry them off.

His office was littered with bodies of his guards, all who were killed by Leone.

"Sorry, buddy, but this is the end of the line for you," she said before snapping the man neck with a crunch.

* * *

Another one of the nobles found himself in a similar however in his case he was being held in the by Lubbock's wires tied around his neck.

Lubbock then twitched one of his fingers, making the wire tighten and end the man's life.

"Alright, that's done. Now to go on the join the others."

* * *

A soldier quickly opened the door of an office where another noble was hiding. The said noble was sitting at his desk and counting his money.

"Sir, we have to go! Assassins are attacking!"

"What?!" the man exclaimed before quickly putting his money in the bag. "Then we have no time to waste!"

The noble ran past the guard but suddenly felt a stinging pain at the back of his neck, causing him to suddenly stop.

"Sorry, about that," came the voice of Chelsea as she dropped her guard disguise provided by her Imperial Arm which gave her the opportunity to put a poison needle in the man's neck. "But the only place you're going is hell."

The noble let out a few gasps before falling to the ground dead and dropping his bag of money.

* * *

Loten stood at one of the balconies of the palace overlooked the battle that was happening. He tried to mobilize the Empire's troops, see what they were capable of, but it would appear that no matter what strategy he came up with it wouldn't work.

Emperor Makoto walked by his side and peered over the balcony to see what was happening. He got a really worried look on his face as he watched the carnage happening down there.

"Lord Kallig, is there nothing we can do?" he asked while worriedly looking up Loten who just stood there with his arms crossed.

"Not to worry, Your Highness. Things will go back in our favor," Loten said. He let this farce go on for long enough.

He focused on the Force, reaching the minds of his two apprentices. _"Ashara, Xalek, it's time for you to join in the fray."_

_"__Yes, master,"_ both of them replied.

Loten broke off the connection and smiled. He knew his two apprentices would be enough to turn the tide of this battle. He then considered something for a moment. Perhaps he should join in as well.

* * *

"Let's get those imperial bastards!" one of the Revolutionary soldiers said as he cut down one of his opponents with the other soldiers voicing their agreement.

They ran through the streets that were covered in blood and bodies, trying to find as many Imperial soldiers as they can.

While running they came to halt when a strange person suddenly jumped in front of them. It didn't look human; it had some sort of mask and tusks coming from the sides, reptilian-like eyes and strange-looking hands.

The creature then took a long cylindrical object from his waist, held it in front and two red blades appeared from each side, causing the soldiers to stand with their guards up.

Xalek then quickly threw his saberstaff towards the soldiers, making turn like a flying buzzsaw. The soldiers didn't stay shocked for long as the saber cut through them easier than a hot knife through butter, most falling back bisected as the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air.

Xalek then recalled his saber back with the Force and grabbed it before running to the next group of soldiers. He cut them down faster than they could realize what has happened and repeating this process several times.

The Kaleesh grunted, feeling disappointed. These men were nothing but flies in his wake. His skills as a warrior couldn't be properly challenged on this battlefield, but he had his orders.

Ashara was in a similar boat, cutting down many soldiers with her two blue lightsabers. Compared to droids and Republic and Sith Empire soldiers she fought these were incredibly easy. Though she supposed that was to be expected considering.

She finished cutting down another group of soldiers before she felt Xalek running towards a pretty sizable gathering of the enemy forces. She assumed that is where the majority of them were located.

She also ran towards that spot, using her Force Speed to get there faster. Soon, she and Xalek found themselves at the main gate of the Imperial Capital where a huge number of Revolutionary Army soldiers were pouring through.

Xalek and Ashara then jumped in front of the invading army, and with a silent command between them extended their palms at the same time, making an incredibly powerful Force Push, causing a huge number of soldiers to fly back and scream in shock.

The alien duo then found themselves in the crowd of soldiers, quickly slicing through many of them with their lightsabers.

Any resistance they were met with was either countered or evaded without a problem, the army being no match for the Sith apprentice and the former Jedi.

* * *

Away from the battlefield where Najenda was located, one of the commanders was looking through a pair of binoculars to see how they were faring in their battle. When his sight landed on what was happening at the front gate he gasped.

Najenda then turned to him. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, we may have a problem," he said before giving Najedna the binoculars.

The silver-haired woman then looked to see what was bothering the commander when her eye widened at what she saw. Two individuals who wielded lightsabers were right in the middle of their army, and they were quickly thinning out their forces. The fact that those two looked like aliens was all the more confirmation on what they are.

That wasn't all. Due to their attack the Imperial soldiers also began retaliating; advancing on their own soldiers and pushing them back.

This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. These two people were changing the odds of this conflict. The last thing she expected were those Sith that Danek mentioned interfering in their war. If this continued then they may as well lose. She needed to contact Susanoo through their bond.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the North, Danek was looking at his sister was powering up, the vortex around her becoming stronger. Esdeath then extended her hand with her palm outstretched, several large spikes of ice formed in the air around her. She then pushed her hand forward causing the ice projectiles to fly at Danek with great speed.

Danek moved out of the way of the projectiles, sometimes using Yatsufusa to cut them. When he avoided the last one he saw that Esdeath herself was already upon him, descending from a great height as she brought her rapier down. Danek brought his own blade to block it, the impact once again causing a shockwave to appear around them.

He pushed Esdeath back, but she responded by sending more ice projectiles his way. Danek jumped forward, rotating in the air to avoid being hit by the ice. He landed in front of Esdeath. He swung his blade at her forcing his sister to block but the force from the strike moved her rapier aside. A metallic boot then found itself lunged in her stomach as she was pushed back several meters before landing and regaining her balance.

Danek dashed towards her but was met with a wall of ice in front of him, but instead of stopping he used a Force Push to break through the ice, but he didn't find Esdeath on the other side.

His instincts kicked in as he moved his body to the left, with Esdeath rapier coming from behind him but only cutting his white robe. He then moved his elbow with the length of the sword and hitting Esdeath in the face, causing her to grunt in pain.

Danek quickly moved away and turned, seeing Esdeath wiping some blood from her nose where he hit her, and her military cap was also missing, no doubt from the previous hit.

"Esdeath, stop this. You're no match for me," Danek said hoping that Esdeath would stop this fight which in his mind was a pointless one.

Esdeath only chuckled. "No. I finally found someone who can push me to my limits," she responded wearing that same smile on her face. "And the more effort I put into defeating you the sweeter my victory will be!"

She then spread her hands causing a dome of ice to appear around Danek who immediately went on guard for whatever she was planning. Suddenly, spikes appeared all around the dome and began extending towards him. So this was her idea, trying to trap him from all corners. Thinking quickly he used Force Repulse, shattering the spikes around him and the dome itself causing many icy chunks to fly around.

Honing in on Esdeath's location he looked up to see her high in the air. Her hand was extended as she began forming something with her ice powers. A giant ball of ice was formed in the air, its size matching that of a small mountain. Esdeath then flung that giant ice ball at Danek at impressive speeds.

Danek in response jumped at the incoming projectile. He then decided to use one of the techniques he was taught by Grandmaster Satele Shan, Shatterpoint. Using the Force he looked for the weakness in the large object, and when he found it he quickly put his hand there when he closed the distance. Focusing the Force on that part, cracks started to appear on the giant ball of ice. Those cracks became bigger until they covered the entire object, and not too long after it shattered into billions of tiny pieces.

The Jaegers and Esdeath's troops could not believe what they were seeing, general Esdeath, the Empire's Strongest, the woman who was seen as pretty much invincible was now being manhandled by this stranger they've never seen before. And she still had yet to land a single hit.

There was unease among the ranks, the soldiers muttering between them on the situation.

"This can't be happening."

"Who is this guy?"

"I've never seen the general being hit. This is insane."

"I'm honestly thinking of breaking ranks."

"Are you crazy?! Esdeath will murder you."

"And what about this man that's beating her? Esdeath seems like a better option at this point."

Jaegers looked behind them to see that the troops were nervous. They couldn't blame them, they were nervous too. Esdeath was the symbol of power and the Empire's might. To see this man shatter that last attack seemingly like it was nothing really was a cause for concern. That fact that he could apparently use the Force like Loten could only added to that. They didn't want to be hit with lightning.

"Calm down, soldiers!" Seryu said, trying to defuse the situation. "The battle hasn't been decided, our general can still triumph!"

"Guys, I think we might end needing to help her," Wave said.

Kurome was still shaking and her breathing became more rapid. She was honestly on the verge of hyperventilating. She didn't want to be separated from Yatsufusa anymore. From the way things seemed to go the general wouldn't be able to bring her back her sword and she would never see her friends again.

Bols grabbed the shaking girl by the shoulders and whispered some soft words to calm her down. He didn't like seeing her in this state.

Run only stared at the fight, his expression neutral. In his mind, he was weighing his options. This man was good, really good. And from he has seen he was on the side of the Revolutionary Army. This showed that they actually have the means of defeating Esdeath. The reason he joined the military was so he could find the man who killed his young students, but if this continued then his position in the military would mean nothing.

Esdeath's feet touched the ground first and she saw that her brother was not far behind. Thinking quickly, she put her hand on the ground. From the glow of her hand ice started forming and covering the ground, turning it into a thick layer of ice that extended to where Danek was landing.

Danek understood her scheme as he saw the smooth surface of the ice form beneath him, trying to put him at a disadvantage by making land the slippery ice. However, Danek was smarter than that and focused the Force on the soles of his feet. The moment he touched the ice it cracked beneath his metal boots.

"Any more tricks up your sleeves, sister," Danek commented as he looked towards Esdeath who was slightly panting after that all that's happened. "Or is this all you have?"

Esdeath grit her teeth and growled. He was mocking her. Her, the Empire's strongest. Her anger of him rose, as her brother who she thought was once weak was now able to fight her off. Well, she wasn't done yet.

She once again formed ice projectiles and threw them at him, expecting him to dodge or evade as he did before. But this time he put his hand up and clenched it into a fist, causing the ice missiles to shatter.

Not wanting her to linger too long on it, Danek moved forward with great speed and a horizontal cut at the ready. Esdeath blocked it with her rapier but Danek then moved the hilt forward and slammed the pommel straight into Esdeath's forehead, causing her to slightly bleed as she moaned in pain slightly. That was followed by a punch to her cheek which sent her skidding back.

Danek once again advanced, not wanting to give her a chance to retaliate.

Then suddenly, everything stopped in place.

The surroundings around Esdeath gained a blue hue as everything stood as if frozen. Danek, the Jaegers, her troops. All of them stopped, not moving a centimeter and their expressions unchanging.

Esdeath gave a few pants before standing straight, her being the only one who didn't have the light blue hue that others had.

This was the trump card of her Imperial Arm, the ability to freeze time itself. The effects were clear considering everything around stood completely frozen. She had to admit she didn't think she would be forced to use that technique but she honestly couldn't be picky in this situation. She was honestly annoyed at being forced on the defensive.

She cast a look at her brother, Yatsufusa at the ready and he himself willing to fight her if the frozen expression on his face was any indication.

"Well, brother, I must admit you gave me quite a challenge," she commented before pulling her sword backward, preparing a thrusting motion. "But this is over."

She thrust the weapon forward, preparing to end it all. However, before it could connect the blue hue in the surroundings seemingly began to break as several cracks of light could be seen coming from Danek.

Then blue hue then actually broke much to Esdeath's shock, undoing her time freeze. Danek gained a look of surprise as he saw his sister's rapier suddenly in front of him and he moved his head away, but the blade was able to slide on his cheek, cutting him.

Danek then moved away from Esdeath as the shock of what happened disappeared while Esdeath couldn't help but stare with wide eyes and her mouth slightly open. Was Danek actually able to BREAK her time stopping technique?

"I'm not sure what you did just there," Danek said before moving his thumb across the wound to wipe his blood, but to Esdeath's further surprise there was no wound left there, not even a tiny scratch. "But don't expect it to work again."

Danek once again advanced at her. She tried to defend herself with her sword but Danek grabbed her by the hand and soon did the same with the other. "I've had enough!" he exclaimed before driving a knee into her stomach causing to actually spit out some blood. He then grabbed her rapier and flung it out of her grasp before giving her a nasty punch on the head with that same arm.

He then followed his assault with several more punches and pommel hits, not giving his sister any time to counter and finishing his attack with a high kick that sent her flying.

While in the air Esdeath used her powers again, this time to encase herself in an armor of ice that was shaped like a huge golem. She manipulated the newly made creation to attack him but Danek used Yatsufusa to cut off its hand before swiftly doing the same to one of its legs causing the thing to go off balance. He then used a mighty Force Push on the golem shattering it and causing Esdeath to fly back.

Among the Jaegers, Wave then voiced what most of them were thinking. "Guys, I think that's our cue," he said as dark blue armor similar to Incursio armor began forming on him.

"It would appear so," said Bols while readying his flamethrower.

"Justice shall not be defeated," Seryu said while glaring at Danek. She then gave a look towards her dog. "Koro. Get ready."

The dog gave a little. Suddenly his expression turned into a snarl, his small form began growing rapidly, until he was almost twice the size of everyone else. He also gained a lot of musculature and his teeth became razor sharp.

It was time for the Jaegers to get involved.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Imperial Capital, Susanoo, and Tatsumi were running towards the front gate to assist their allies who were currently battling the Sith apprentices. And losing badly.

Susanoo was contacted by Najenda through their bond, and she explained to him the whole situation so he and Tastumi quickly contacted the rest of Night Raid to come back. With Susanoo and Tatsumi's speed, they were already ahead of their comrades, needing to go there as fast as they can.

They quickly arrived at the front gate and saw that their Revolutionary forces were pushed back through it. They forced their way through the Imperial soldiers to meet with the two lightsaber users who were currently in the open field outside the city. The powerhouses then saw the alien duo as they cut through their soldiers.

"Damn it, Susanoo! We need to stop those two!" exclaimed Tatsumi as he glared at the two apprentices. This was finally their moment of triumph over the Empire and he wasn't going to let those two ruin it.

"Indeed, Tatsumi. You take the woman and I'll fight the one with the mask," Susanoo suggested to which Tatsumi nodded.

Xalek sensed someone approaching quickly as he cut down yet another soldier. He turned his head to see a horned man in a white robe-like clothing and a mace-like weapon quickly approach.

Susanoo swung his weapon at Xalek who dodged the strike. He quickly retaliated by attacking with his saberstaff but Susanoo blocked it with the metal part of the weapon. Xalek was surprised to see that his lightsaber didn't immediately cut through it as he thought it would. Susanoo then used his great strength to push Xalek away from him.

"Impressive," Xalek commented. "I hope you provide a better challenge than these men."

Susanoo's only response was giving his weapon a twirl similar to twirling a staff before getting into his battle stance. Xalex repeated the motion, twirling his saberstaff which emitted more of a buzzing sound in the air before getting into his battle stance.

Ashara looked to see an armored individual coming at her with a spear. She moved one of her lightsabers to intercept the attack moving the spear away before using her other one to stab which the armored man dodged.

As Tatsumi moved away from the attack the azure blade actually came really close to striking his neck. He could feel the heat emanating from the alien weapon as it moved past him. He then jumped back to put some distance between himself and Ashara, not wanting to stay close in his position.

He observed the alien woman in front of him as she got back into a fighting position with one blade held high and the other low. Tastumi readied his spear to fight this unknown opponent.

Susanoo and Xalek were locked in a fierce exchange, each one blocking and countering each other's attacks with their staff-like weapons. A loud hissing was heard as Xalek's plasma blades hit the durable metal of Susanoo's weapon.

Susanoo hated to admit it but this man was really good. With their similar weapons, they predicted each other's attacks pretty well, but this man had the strength and speed to match his own. Susanoo actually had to put a good effort to keep up with him.

Susanoo went for a side strike but Xalek then did something he didn't account for. He used the metal hilt of his lightsaber to block the attack before pushing the weapon back. Seeing an opening Xalek delivered a powerful kick to Susanoo's sternum, pushing him back dozens of meters as he skidded on the rocky ground on his back, his eyes shut from the pain.

As Tatsumi blocked an attack from Ashara with the tip of his spear, he saw Susanoo skidding across the ground and immediately.

"You better watch your opponent," Tatsumi heard Ashara as she swung her sabers at him.

Tatsumi responded by quickly deflecting one of them and moving away from the other but wasn't able to move fast enough as the blade actually struck, piercing through his armor and damaging his side. Tatsumi grunted at the searing pain in his side, cursing himself for being distracted.

Susanoo got up to his feet to see Xalek advancing on him. To Susanoo's surprise, instead of attacking, Xalek jumped over him first before swinging his lightsaber. Susanoo blocked the strike but quickly got a kick delivered to the back of his head, sending him flying forward.

Xalek was once again going for an attack but felt something coming from behind him. He moved to get out of the way, but something caught his arm, stopping him. He saw that his left arm was wrapped in metal wires.

"Got him, Susanoo!" exclaimed Lubbock, as held onto Xalek's arm.

"Don't hog all the fun for yourselves!" exclaimed Leone with a grin as she appeared along with Akame. "Hey, Akame! Go help Tatsumi, I'll help Susanoo and Lubbock!"

Akame nodded and readied her Murasame. It appeared that whatever metal their Imperial Arms were crafted they are able to withstand these lightsabers. Though seeing some of the spots on Tatsumi's spear were melted it would appear that it isn't for long.

She moved next to Tatsumi and they both pointed their weapons at Ashara.

"Thanks for the assist, Akame."

"It's no problem."

The two then dashed at Ashara who was ready to take both of them on.

* * *

On the palace balcony, Loten was observing things from afar with a pair of binoculars. Sure he could sense things but he wanted to have a more clear view. He was proud of what his apprentices were able to accomplish, defeating so many soldiers and easily handling the two most powerful Night Raid members. At least from what he could sense.

Then he saw the rest of Night Raid come back. He considered that maybe he himself should go there just in case.

"Is everything alright there, Lord Kallig?" the young Emperor asked.

"Everything is just fine, Your Majesty," Loten said. "My apprentices have turned the tide of this battle."

Makoto smiled at that. "That's very good to hear, Lord Kallig. It would appear that your apprentices are just as valuable to the Empire as Esdeath is. You should be proud."

Loten looked at the young Emperor and gave him a kind smile, which made quite a contrast considering how menacing he looked. "Of course I am."

He then put the binoculars back so he could see what was happening. His sight then landed one particular member of Night Raid and seeing who it was made his eyes go wide.

Emperor Makoto saw the shocked expression on Loten's face which caused him to become concerned. "Um, is everything alright?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Your Highness," Loten said in a reassuring tone before smiling as he once again looked at that person. "Nothing at all."

* * *

Leone dashed at Xalek with her fist reared back for a punch. The Kaleesh then swung his lightsaber at her but she jumped over the attack. Susanoo then used the chance and attacked. Xalek saw the attack coming but his arm was still restrained and he wasn't able to respond before he took a heavy blow to the head from Susanoo's weapon. The attack was so powerful he flew back some distance before doing a backflip and landing on his feet.

Lubbock then tightened his grip on Xalek's arm, causing the Sith apprentice to grunt in pain. "Hope you can function without that arm!" Lubbock exclaimed confidently as he prepared his wires to cut through.

Xalek quickly thought of something. He grabbed the wire with his fingers and channeled Force Lightning through them. The effect was nearly instantaneous. The wires served as conductor for the lightning, several small sparks of lightning could be seen as it went along the wires. The moment it reached Lubbock he screamed in pain, all of his nerves suddenly feeling like they were on fire.

That got Susanoo and Leone look in shock as they saw Lubbock be electrocuted, which even got the attention of Tatsumi, Akame, and Ashara as they looked at what was happening.

Xalek seeing his idea was working increased the power of his lighting, causing Lubbock to scream in pain even more. Then the moment the wires were loose, he stopped his lightning and pulled on the wires causing Lubbock, who was still connected to them, to fly at him and land limply on the ground in front of him as it kicked up some dirt.

Xalek looked at the downed Lubbock and saw him unmoving. He gave him a slight kick to the head to see if there was any reaction, but his head only budged from his hit. There was nothing else.

He then faced Susanoo and Leone again, his saber ready for battle. "You won't receive his help again." The two only glared at him before taking their battle stances.

The other trio resumed their fight. Akame slashing at Ashara with her blade as the Togruta blocked her assault. Tatsumi came behind her to strike ram his spear through her back. However, Ashara jumped backward and avoided the stab. She turned mid-air and made a swiping motion but Tatsumi ducked beneath it.

The two assassins once again found themselves side-by-side. They were concerned about Lubbock but knowing him there was no reason to worry.

Lubbock almost smirked. His plan worked. This was actually one of his own strategies, which was playing dead. It seemed cowardly but it worked great to catch his opponents off guard. That thing with the electricity hurt like hell but he was able to endure it. Now his opponent had his back turned to him, and Lubbock slowly moved his fingers, ready to ensnare him again, this time to completely immobilize.

Xalek moved his lightsaber behind him before crouching, his opponents tense, trying to determine just what was he planning to do.

Then to everyone's shock, Xalek rapidly turned around and threw his saberstaff right through Lubbock's back, causing the green-haired to suddenly open his eyes wide in pain and his mouth turned into a silent scream as breath left his lungs. The lightsaber pierced through a spot just above the place where he put his wires for protection, making his insides literally burn.

"I could sense you're still alive," Xalek said before pulling out his lightsaber out of him.

Susanoo and Leone were now really shocked. They knew Lubbock's strategy of catching his opponents off guard by playing dead, but they weren't expecting Xalek to realize what was happening.

Away from the battlefield, Najenda watched the whole thing happen with her binoculars. Her mouth hung open and her eye wide.

"No," was all she was able to mutter.

Lubbock lay down, his hands slightly twitching, his vision getting dark as he felt life leave his body. This was it, and he knew.

_"__I'm sorry, my friends. I can't go on anymore. I'm sorry Najenda. I never… got to… tell you…" _those were his last thoughts before his eyes closed and his body stopped moving at all.

"As I've said," Xalek continued. "You won't receive his help anymore."

_"__Xalek!" _Loten called out to his apprentice telepathically. _"I need to tell you something."_

Also, some distance from the battle Mein was actually gritting her teeth in anger, seeing everything through the scope of her rifle.

She served the role as support from the distance, but couldn't find a good opportunity to shoot considering that both Xalek and Ashara were moving around so much. She would have taken the shot after Xalek finished frying Lubbock but was surprised by Xalek actually killing.

"You bastard!" she growled through her teeth in anger. "Just die!"

She then fired an energy blast from Pumpkin, a shot aimed right at Xalek's head.

After his master finished talking to him, Xalek saw something coming at him from a distance. Seeing it was similar to a plasma shot he moved his lightsaber to block it. The shot had more impact than he thought but he was able to stop it.

Mine looked shocked at she saw the Kaleesh block her blast, but she quickly recovered and fired more shots, each one aiming for different parts of his body, but all were blocked by the crimson saberstaff.

Leone then dashed forward as Susanoo's warnings fell on deaf ears, her face full of anger, her mindset on pummeling the masked bastard to death. Xalek avoided the punch by moving to the side. At that moment he clenched his fist, focusing more Force amplification into his arm.

As Leone moved past him, he slammed the back of her head with a mighty elbow strike causing her eyes to go wide in pain. She was sent tumbling on the ground before found herself laying on her back unconscious.

Susanoo moved to strike at Xalek with his weapon, but this time the slots between the metal parts of his Wolf Fang Mace produced blades that moved in a buzzsaw-like fashion. Xalek simply pushed the weapon aside before delivering a Force Push that sent Susanoo back.

* * *

Najenda looked over the battle in anger, her teeth clenched and her fists tightened. This wasn't supposed to happen this way, they were supposed to do a simple takeover of the capital and end this war.

But now, these two Sith who appeared out of nowhere were ruining everything. One of them even killed Lubbock and knocked Leone unconscious. She thought that maybe Susanoo would be enough to deal with at least one of them but it would appear that he can't. She had no choice. She had to unleash Susanoo's full power.

* * *

Esdeath was pushed back by another punch that landed on her by Danek, but she caught herself and dug her feet to the ground causing them to dig through the snow as she skidded.

She panted in exhaustion before wiping some blood that was trailing down her lip. Her brother just stood there and seemed to actually GIVE her some time to recuperate this time. She narrowed her eyes in anger. He was doing that out of pity, which was the last thing she wanted right now.

When she fought him, she did indeed expect a proper challenge, something she yearned for all these years. But not only was her criteria met it was surpassed. She never thought she would find herself completely outclassed. Her techniques didn't work, her swordsmanship was surpassed, her speed and strength were outmatched, and her strategies countered. And Danek seemed to barely be affected.

"Are you willing to accept surrender now, sister?" Danek asked somewhat scoldingly. "I think I proved my point already. You cannot defeat me."

Esdeath just grunted and spit some blood from her mouth. "This isn't over… until I draw my last breath."

"That's not going to happen. You can't beat me, and I won't kill you."

Then suddenly, a large shadow covered Danek from behind. He looked back to see a huge maw full of sharp teeth descending upon him. Those huge jaws than clamped around him, making him disappear.

Esdeath looked shocked at what happened. Why was Koro transformed and why was he attacking Danek?

"General!" she heard Wave call and saw that here Jaegers were coming to her side.

"What are you all doing here?" she asked irritated.

"We're here to help fight this evildoer, general!" Seryu exclaimed.

"I don't need your help," Esdeath said as her eyes narrowed at her team. "This is my fight."

"I'm sorry, general, but you obviously bit off more than you could chew," Wave said, now fully donning the Grand Chariot armor. "If you want to punish us, then do so later. We're here to help you."

Esdeath actually gave a smile at that, touched that they cared so much.

"That's strange," Seryu commented getting the other's attention. "Koro usually chews on his opponents, but it looks like he swallowed this one whole."

They looked at Koro who seemed a bit unnerved for some reason. Then he started to whimper and growl, his eyes shut tight and his teeth showing. His arms went around his stomach as he moved uneasily, seemingly suffering from a bad stomachache.

"Koro, what's wrong?!" Seryu asked worriedly.

However, the biological Imperial Arm couldn't hear his master's words, too bothered by the pain in his stomach. Suddenly, he started inflating, his pain growing as he was being inflated like a balloon.

"KORO!"

Then Koro burst, his blood, insides, and body parts scattered around. Wave actually moved Kurome away from a giant flying eyeball.

And in the epicenter of that stood Danek, his arms outstretched as some parts of him were covered in blood, with his Force Repulse blasting away most of it.

Seryu glared menacingly at Danek. "What have you done to my Koro?!"

"I'm not finished," he said before putting up his gloved hand, showing that he was holding a dark purple orb.

"Is that… Koro's core?" Bols asked.

Danek then used his Shatterpoint ability on the orb, cracks appearing on it before it was reduced to tiny fragments. From what he read, biological Imperial Arms were immortal. Unless you destroyed their core they will always regenerate back, which is why when Koro blindsided him he actually jumped into his mouth and cutting his way inside until he found the core.

"No. No, no, no, no, no," Seryu muttered as tears started streaming down her arms. The look on her turned into an outright insane one. "YOU KILLED KORO!" She then ran at him, fueled by her rage.

"Seryu wait!" Wave tried to call out but she seemingly couldn't hear him.

She jumped up, her metal arm cocked back into a rage-fueled punch. But just as she descended down on him he disappeared from her sight. She then felt something hitting the back of her neck, and her vision darkened, falling harmlessly on the snowy ground.

Danek just looked at the unconscious girl with pity, sensing her emotional distress over what he had done to someone she considered her friend. But he then turned to the others. "All of you, stop this! There is no need for further violence!"

The rest of them were unsure of what to do. He already disposed of two of them and Kurome couldn't fight without her weapon, leaving only Bols, Wave, Run and an injured Esdeath.

Bols then pointed his flamethrower as Danek and activated it, sending a large stream of fire. Danek just outstretched his palm, forming a Force Barrier in front of him. The flames never touched him an only moved around him.

When the flames stopped Esdeath was once again upon him, her rapier recovered, but she was much slower than before and he was easily able to move away from the attack. He then felt Wave coming from behind him, he moved out of the way from the young man's punch before giving him a kick to the side. Wave grunted in pain, knowing that if not for his armor he would have had major damage.

Danek then moved his and upwards next to him, his powers deflecting large metal feathers that were sent at him as projectiles. Run grunted in annoyance after his attack failed, the metal wings that adorned his back making him fly. The surprise attack failed and Esdeath tried to once again attack but was easily countered.

Wave cursed under his breath. This wasn't good. Even four on one they couldn't beat him.

Then he remembered something.

_Wave was walking through one of the palace's hallways to get his room. He needed to prepare for the march to the North._

_However, next to the door of his room stood Loten as he seemingly waited for Wave to come._

_"__Is there something you need?" Wave asked._

_"__I need you to take something with you," Loten said before pulling out a strange small device from one of his pockets. "This is a special communicator. All you need to do to is put it in your ear, activate it by pushing this button and it will call me."_

_"__Oh, thank you," Wave said before taking the device. "But why give it to me."_

_Loten shrugged. "Just in case you need help."_

The helmet of the Grand Chariot disappeared as Wave pressed the button on his earpiece.

* * *

Loten looked at the battle with pride, seeing how well things were turning out. Then he suddenly felt some ringing in his ear. He then remembered he actually gave an earpiece like this to Wave, not wanting to take too many chances on their mission. He didn't give it to Esdeath since she wouldn't accept so he decided on the next best thing.

He clicked the button to receive the call, wondering what happened that Wave needed to actually use it.

"What is the problem?" Loten asked.

_"__Well, those Jedi you were talking about before. We're fighting one."_

Loten was surprised to hear. They were fighting a Jedi? What would a Jedi want all the way here in this pretty much unknown part of the galaxy?

"Who is this Jedi?"

_"__He actually resembles Esdeath in quite a few ways. He even said he was her brother. And he is ridiculously strong!"_

That actually sounded worrying to Loten. "Do you know his name?"

_"__I think it's… Danek."_

Loten just stood there, a look of complete shock adorning his face. Of all the things he thought he would hear that WASN'T one of them.

Then he mentally berated himself for not noticing the similarities before. Of course that Esdeath and that Jedi were related. There was no way they weren't.

"Wave! Hold him off as long as you can, I'm coming!" he turned off the communicator before reaching out with telepathy. _"Ashara! Xalek! I'm taking The Fury to the North. Something requires my immediate presence. You continue pushing back Night Raid!"_

He then took out a small remote before typing in a few commands.

* * *

At the battlefield, a bright aura surrounded Susanoo as the wind began picking up around him. He could feel Najenda giving her life force so he could activate his trump card. His hair turned white, his horns turned black, his robe was gone, and instead, he was covered in an armor-like skin with a red spot on in the middle of his chest, and a black disk appeared behind him.

Susanoo glared at his opponent, ready to unleash his true power upon him.

Xalek looked intrigued as he felt that Susanoo's power has risen. He put up his lightsaber, ready to go yet another round with the biological Imperial Arm.

Suddenly, a spaceship flew over everyone's heads and headed for the palace. Most looked up confused at what was happening, only Xalek and Ashara knowing.

The ship stopped in front of one of the palace towers for a moment before turning and heading northward.

After that, Susanoo and Xalek exchanged looks yet again before they dashed at each other.

* * *

Bols was pushed aside as yet another tactic of trying to catch Danek by surprise failed. Run, Wave and Esdeath tried their best to keep up, even attacking simultaneously, but all were pushed back with another Force Repulse from Danek.

"All of you, stop this! You can't beat me!"

Esdeath was already tired of hearing that. Just how much time was he going to waste breath on telling them to stop?

Then suddenly a whirling sound could be heard, a sound that was only familiar to Danek. They looked at the source and found a spaceship coming to their location, and landing not too far from them. Danek was especially surprised. He never thought he would see another space ship besides his own here.

The hatch of the spaceship as Loten stepped out of it. Danek was surprised when he felt Loten's presence in the Dark Side of the Force. This man was definitely a Sith. An incredibly powerful one at that. How didn't he sense him before?

Loten looked around to see what has occurred. "Well, I see that you all had quite a time here." He then looked at the Jedi that was mentioned and immediately recognized him. It was easy considering every holo for a while had the face of the man who killed Emperor Vitiate.

"This is quite an honor, I have to admit," Loten said as his mouth morphed into a smile while Danek just stared with narrowed eyes. "I'm glad to able to properly meet you, Hero of Tython."

* * *

**AN: And that is it for now. Man, a lot of things happened here. I hope you aren't too mad about some of them. I hate to leave you on a cliffhanger but the chapter is long enough. And next time you finally see a proper lightsaber battle.**

**On another note, I posted another story. It is a Zorro/Rurouni Kenshin crossover. I hope that you go and check out the first chapter. I hope for your support.**

**See you next time!**


	11. 10 Save the Climax

A Look to the Past

**AN: And here's the second part of the fight. I hope you'll end up happy with the result. **

**Now to reviews.**

**keybladelight: Nice to hear that.**

**I'm honestly not sure why I should have Danek go through that. It would seem like pointless fanservice and there is no way I can make fit organically in the story.**

**Dracus6: I hope that I made it epic.**

**Uchiha: Well, you are somewhat right about what will happen.**

* * *

10 Save the Climax

Danek stared at the newly arrived Sith with his eyes narrowed. He wondered what was happening and how come he didn't sense that Sith before. From here he could feel quite a strong presence in the Force coming from him, on such a level that matched Darth Angral. He should have noticed it the moment he got near this planet yet he was only able to sense him now. Something wasn't right here.

Though he wasn't surprised that the Sith knew who he was, especially considering what he was known for. Yet Danek couldn't recognize who this man was.

Loten, on the other hand, was honestly feeling somewhat nervous despite his confident exterior. To think that not just any Jedi was here, but the most powerful Jedi of the current era. To him feeling a bit nervous was justifiable, but he suppressed it and kept his composure.

He then also cast a look on the weapon Danek was holding. That was definitely Yatsufusa. He knew that only the chosen wielders are able to hold these weapons so he focused his Force sense on him. His senses were actually able to pick up a concentration of Force energy on the palms of Danek's hands which created a layer of a Force shield that stopped the blade from actually making contact with his hands. Clever.

"What business do the Sith have on this planet?" Danek asked with an edge in his voice, knowing that this man's presence meant trouble.

"Oh, straight to business, are we?" Loten asked amusingly. "Why, I was born on this planet, the same you." Loten let out a chuckle. "Quite a small galaxy, don't you think? And is it wrong for me to visit my old home? Or are Sith not even allowed to do that?"

"You can't fool me, Sith. I know you are involved in this conflict," Danek said, not really caring about the fact that he was born on the same planet as the Sith, before pointing at Wave. "Especially considering this young man contacted you."

"Well, I suppose that hiding it was pointless," Loten said before looking away from Danek and towards the Jaegers, seeing them quite beaten up, Esdeath especially. "I see that you did quite a number on them." He then looked at Esdeath's troops, all of who seemed to be both confused and frightened.

"I ask you again," Danek said. "What do the Sith want on this planet?"

"Oh, nothing special really. Just some regular murder and mayhem," Loten said dismissively before realizing something. "Oh, but I forgot. I haven't introduced myself. I am Darth Nox, otherwise known as Lord Kallig, the recently appointed member of the Dark Council. And you, of course, are Jedi Master Danek Partas, the mighty Hero of Tython."

"So… you two know each other?" Wave asked Loten.

"I know _of_ him. There is hardly a Sith who doesn't," Loten said, not taking his eyes off Danek. "Especially since he was the one who murdered our Emperor."

The Jaegers were surprised to hear that. Danek killed the Sith Emperor? Considering what they knew of the Sith hierarchy the Emperor should be really powerful, so Danek's accomplishment is nothing scoff at.

Esdeath was focused on another thing. So that's why she hasn't heard from her brother for so many years. He was in space. With his concern over her, she wondered how he was able to go for so long and not hear of her or come in contact with her, but since he wasn't even on this planet it all made sense. Not to mention Danek being trained in this Force that Loten keeps talking about. It does explain how he could do all those telekinetic attacks.

Danek remembered something he heard about the newly made council member of the Sith Empire, but other than the name Darth Nox he heard about him having a former Jedi among his ranks and nothing else.

"Tell me, since when was the Dark Council concerned about Vitiate?" Danek asked. "From what I know the Council has been running the Empire for years, with your Emperor barely even talking to you."

"Yes, we had… limited contact with the Emperor," Loten said. He wasn't on the Council for very long but he knew the relationship between it and Emperor Vitiate. "However, he was a symbol of the Sith Empire, so I'm unfortunately obligated to act on such a thing."

Danek just continued to stare at Loten. The way the Sith spoke was with some mocking formality, something to unnerve Danek, and get an emotional read on him. Though, Danek could also see that it was also meant to hide Loten's nervousness.

"I would also ask what business the Jedi have on this planet," Loten said before looking at Esdeath. "But I can see that it is a personal one. So tell me, master Partas, how is your progress?"

Danek's expression didn't change as Loten hoped it would. He still simply gave Loten that same stare, completely unwavering as those blue eyes rested firmly on him. He realized the Jedi was no fool, and he wouldn't be easily manipulated.

"Slow, but I'm a patient man," Danek answered. "I'm sorry, lord Nox, but I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave this planet. Otherwise, I'll have to personally make sure that you don't spread chaos with you."

"Request denied," Loten said before putting his hand up and shooting a blast of Force Lightning at Danek. Unbothered, the Jedi extended his own hand, catching the blast mid-air as the lighting receded into his hand.

Loten let out a dry chuckle. Of course, the man knew Tutaminis, otherwise, he wouldn't face a Sith of Loten's caliber without activating his lightsaber. But it didn't hurt to check.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Wave.

Run once again watched with intent. The seeming effortlessness of which Danek had not just blocked but absorbed that attack is once again making him consider his options, seeing that this wasn't a sure way to achieve his goals.

"I should have expected it wouldn't have been that easy," Loten said. "Then I think it's time we take another form of diplomacy, one which I personally adore." He moved his cloak to reveal his the hilt of his lightsaber.

Danek got a good look at the Sith's weapon. The design was different from a usual hilt design. It was curved at the bottom and two small blades were pointed upwards in an angle.

Danek then looked at the weapon in his hand, knowing that in this fight it won't serve him all that well. He then focused some Force energy into his hand and threw the katana aside, though with such force that it flew quite a distance from him, almost out of sight.

"NO!" Kurome exclaimed, not wanting to lose her prized weapon.

Loten then acted, moving several of his fingers. The blade's path was diverted downwards where it pierced through the ground when it landed.

"I'm sorry, Jedi, but that blade isn't going anywhere," Loten said before grabbing his lightsaber and igniting.

Danek just glared at the Sith. He thought that his business here may have something to do with Imperial Arms, so him showing his concern for the weapon confirmed it.

The Jedi then reached behind his back and pulled out his own lightsaber before igniting it, and also surprising the group to see that he also possessed a lightsaber.

"Shall we?" Loten asked with a smile.

Danek was upon him almost instantly, only a flash of blue could be seen from the speed at which he was going. The plasma blade went for a swiping motion at Loten, only to be met with nothing. Loten was in mid-air behind Danek, moving his own blade to strike however the attack was blocked by Danek moving his saber behind him. Once that attack was blocked Danek did a spin and moved his blade horizontally but Loten blocked the swipe and quickly moved away.

"Not bad, master Jedi," Loten said with a smirk.

Danek responded by once again going on the offensive, quickly closing the distance between them before delivering several quick strikes, all of which were blocked by Loten. Danek made a downward strike that Loten caught with his lightsaber and pushed it slightly aside before spinning and delivering a kick to Danek's jaw causing the tall Jedi to grunt.

"He got him!" Wave exclaimed. Loten was already performing better than they did, causing the young man to regain confidence in victory. "We should go and assist him."

Wave was about to go before he felt a hand on his shoulder. "No, Wave," he heard Bols saying behind him. "We'll only get in the way. General's brother already held us back with ease. We wouldn't be able to keep up."

Danek had to admit this Sith was good. His style seemed like a well-balanced combination of Soresu and Djem So, an incredible defense with a good sense of countering. Danek was actually forced to swiftly block some of the counters with how well they were executed.

The two of them then seemed to disappear from sight of the Jaegers and the army, all of them only being able to make blurs of red and blue as they danced around the battlefield which was followed by the hissing sounds of the combatants' blades clashing, and occasionally the two of them appearing for a moment. The only one who had the best time tracking their movements was Esdeath, but her fatigue made it hard to do so.

The Jedi and Sith were at a seeming impasse, Danek attacking swiftly with Loten blocking and giving swift counters which in turn were blocked by Danek. And that didn't sit well with Loten. He was sure that Danek was better than this, he KNEW that he was. While Loten's own abilities with the saber were extraordinary he was sure that someone as capable as Danek who was trained as a Jedi Guardian, someone more focused on sword battles than someone who was a Sith Inquisitor like him would have an advantage in head-to-head engagement. So what was the Jedi planning?

That answer came quickly as unlike Danek's strategy before he leaped over a sideswipe made by Loten before attacking in mid-air. Loten was shocked at the sudden change but was still able to bring his blade to defend but was an armored foot to the face sending him back.

So that's what it was? Danek was only studying him, trying to get a feel for his style before finding a way to properly combat it.

Danek then lunged at him, but this time Loten didn't go for a defense and leaped away from the strike. He was sure that this time Danek was getting more serious and wanted to quickly finish this fight. He needed to change his approach.

* * *

Back at the battle at the Imperial Capital, Susanoo's full power was activated by Najenda. The wind picked up around him as he stood tall and glared at his opponent who seemed to be surprised but it was hard to tell thanks to both him being an alien and because of the mask.

Susanoo then prepared his weapon and got ready to fight again. It was now time to finish this.

As all that was happening, Tatsumi and Akame were still fighting against Ashara who was holding them both back with her dual blade style, the two assassins just not being able to overwhelm her.

Ashara deflected Tatsumi's spear strike with her blade just Akame went to strike with Murasame, but Ashara used her second saber to guide the katana out of the way before delivering a pummel strike to Akame's forehead.

With Akame momentarily incapacitated Tatsumi tried to pick up the slack by increasing his ferocity and speed, wanting to get Ashara's attention away from Akame. Many slashes and thrusts followed Tatsumi's assault only for Ashara to counter them all before sending a thrust of her own which Tatsumi was forced to avoid by jumping backward.

Tatsumi had to regain his breath as he stared at his opponent who took on a defensive stance again. He wasn't sure why but this woman seemed to avoid outright attacking them, only blocking and countering.

His thoughts didn't linger on it for too long before he saw something beside her. He was able to see Susanoo in his full-powered state as he faced Xalek, but what really got his attention was the unmoving body of Lubbock that laid there with a hole in his chest. The young man's eyes widened in realization.

Rage coursed through him at that moment, his eyes narrowed beneath his helmet, teeth gnashing, and his hands tightening on the shaft of his spear. Some wind then started to pick up around him as Incursio absorbed his anger, feeding the dormant Danger Beast inside it and making it release more of its power.

Ashara wondered why the armored man's attention seemed to go from her and turned to see her ally Xalek engaged with the other man, but she also saw the dead body next to him. She then heard a scream of rage and quickly turned back to see Tatsumi once again dashing at her, with speed that was boosted by his rage.

Tatsumi made a wide swipe with his spear which Ashara blocked but was surprised by just how strong the attack was, which caused her arms to forcibly move aside and one of her blades flying out of her hands. Tatsumi used his spear to keep her lightsaber in place as he freed his right and delivered a nasty uppercut to the togrutan woman's face.

Tatsumi wanted to finish this as quickly as possible; he needed to help Susanoo kill that man. Lubbock's death wasn't supposed to happen, this was supposed to be simple, get in, assassinate some people in power, and help the troops fight before taking over the capital. No one was supposed to die, not again.

The armored youth then went for another strike, attempting to decapitate the woman and get it over with while she was staggered but Ashara regained her composure and grabbed her now single blade with both hands. She gave her own mighty swing that met with Tatsumi's, however when blades met Ashara's lightsaber melted through the metal of the spear, relieving the pole of the spear tip.

Tatsumi was shocked to see his weapon finally give away under the pressure of the lightsaber, but that shock wore off as he saw Ashara striking at him. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to block the attack nearly as good with the shaft of the spear he moved away but was still grazed on the arm by her lightsaber making him groan in pain.

He moved a reasonable distance away, his hand nursing the part where he was struck. Ashara then used the opportunity to call her other lightsaber back to her before igniting it once again. Akame soon came to his side brandishing her weapon, but from what he saw Akame's katana won't hold on for too long with how much it began to melt.

"How are you holding up?" Akame asked.

"Not very good," he answered. Even with the boost of power given to him by his rage, he wasn't able to overwhelm Ashara, and now his spear was practically useless. He cast a glance at his weapon before throwing it aside.

"We'll need Susanoo's help to properly handle this," Akame stated. Her own weapon won't be able to hold on for more than five strikes she presumed, and Tatsumi's armor could only take so much damage. Without their weapons, they're extremely vulnerable.

"I don't think that'll happen soon," Tatsumi said as he cast a glare at Xalek who was confronting Susanoo.

The two powerhouses were once again engaged in heated combat. Susanoo gained an advantage at first, he now more powerful and faster attacks making Xalek go on a defensive. He once thought he saw an opening in the alien's guard and quickly went for it but Xalek was able to block and counter which Susanoo dodged with only some of his hair being singed.

Susanoo gazed at his weapon, and like with Tatsumi and Akame it was beginning to melt. These lightsabers were truly great weapons indeed. He needed to finish this quick.

Xalek then extended his hand, a blast of Force Lightning shot out and went directly at Susanoo. Seeing his chance, Susanoo extended his own hand and in front of him a mirror was created. The moment the lighting hit the mirror it bounced back at Xalek, who was shocked to see what happened but quickly put up his lightsaber to block the deflected attack.

Susanoo's eyes narrowed. So the lightsabers were also capable of blocking lightning as well. Seeing that direct combat is his only option he readied his weapon and attacked, with Xalek mimicking his actions. They moved at blinding speeds, though this time Susanoo limited the number of times his weapon touched the lightsaber, mostly using evasions and counters.

Despite that, the two didn't have any great advantages over the other, not a single one of them giving in or outpowering the other.

Their mentalities were where they differed the most. While Susanoo wanted to end the fight quickly Xalek actually enjoyed the new challenge provided by the increase in the man's power. He wasn't planning on ending it any time soon.

* * *

Najenda could only watch the events unfold. And she wasn't particularly pleased with what she saw. When she unlocked Susanoo's power by giving her life force she thought that her Imperial Arm would turn the odds in their favor but he was once again seemingly just even with the Sith apprentice.

Akame and Tatsumi didn't fare well, unlike their companion. The alien woman still held the upper hand and even turned the odds more in her favor by destroying Tatsumi's weapon. She was sure that the two will be beaten.

And everyone else couldn't assist them. Their army was busy fighting off the forces of the Empire, Chelsea wasn't combat-oriented so she couldn't help, Lubbock was gone and Leone was knocked out. The Imperial Arms they had still didn't have selected users so they aren't useful.

"General Najenda!" came a voice from behind her. The man was one of the sergeants and he looked really distressed.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"We have received some urgent news! General Budo is returning to the capital!"

That actually caused Najenda to gain a shocked expression. Her surprise then quickly turned into panic. General Budo is returning?! That man was right next to Esdeath when it came to threats against the Revolutionary Army, and in their condition there is no way they can combat both him and the Sith apprentices.

"How long until gets here?" she asked.

"An hour or two."

Najenda could only rub her head. That didn't give them much time at all. However, the situation was something she never thought would happen.

The Invasion was a failure.

* * *

Xalek and Susanoo continued their battle. And while they seemed even Xalek began delivering some light hits to Susanoo. Nothing too major but enough to tell the difference.

_"__Susanoo, you need to stop this fight!"_ Susanoo heard in head and immediately put some distance between him and Xalek, needing some room to properly hear what Najenda was saying. _"We have to retreat! This battle can't be won anymore! Grab Leone and go!"_

_"__Alright,"_ Susanoo mentally replied.

He then ducked away from Xalek's attack and made a B-line towards the unconscious Leone. But before he could get to her his instincts reacted, making him block a lightsaber strike from Xalek but he, unfortunately, received a shoulder tackle which pushed him away.

"Sorry, you're not getting her," Xalek said as he stood over downed Leone.

Susanoo was about to go again but Najenda's voice stopped him. _"Forget it Susanoo, just retreat. We… can't do anything for her. Not anymore,"_ the sad tone in Najenda's voice almost made Susanoo feel the same sorrow. _"Get Tatsumi and Akame. Chelsea and Mine came back earlier so don't worry about them."_

Susanoo then ran closer to the fight between his two allies and the other alien, but he didn't get too close as he was sure that Xalek would act again.

"You two! An order of retreat has been ordered! We're leaving the capital!" Susanoo shouted causing the two assassins to look at him.

"What?! You can't be serious!" Tatsumi said. "We can't just quit now! Lubbock's sacrifice would mean nothing!"

"We have to leave! Now!" Susanoo once again exclaimed. He also glanced back and saw that Xalek wasn't pursuing him. For what reason he wasn't sure but he didn't ponder on it for too long.

"Come on, Tatsumi," Akame said to her partner. "We cannot win this fight anyway."

Tatsumi's fist was so clenched it almost bled. He looked at Ashara who was just in her guard position, not seemingly wanting to advance. Unfortunately, Akame was right. They currently cannot win against Ashara and if Susanoo needs to retreat then there is nothing they can do.

However, instead of having any verbal response Tatsumi just turned and ran alongside Susanoo with Akame in tow. Ashara's expression relaxed along with her stance. She saw that the Revolutionary Army troops were also retreating, meaning that they had successfully fended off their sudden assault.

She returned to Xalek who was now carrying the unconscious blond woman over his shoulder.

"What's with her?" she asked, wondering why Xalek hasn't killed her. He wasn't the merciful type.

"I had orders," he simply replied.

Ashara watched the woman with interest, wondering what was so special about her. And to who she was special to considering she knew who gave the order.

The two watched as all the Revolutionary Army soldiers left the area, the Imperial soldiers cheering in victory.

"We should go to the palace and wait for our master to come. We still need to sort this situation out," she said before running towards the palace with Xalek following.

* * *

Danek and Loten continued their duel, still to the amazement of the soldiers and the Jaegers. Though, there was one single person who stood there more enraged than impressed.

Esdeath seethed in rage. Her fist was closed so tight that her fingernails were digging into her skin and blood dripped down her palm. Esdeath has prided herself of being strong, a predator that was atop the food chain. Her own father's words still lingered in her head. The strong survive and the weak die.

Never before has she found herself in the latter category, she never even THOUGHT such a thing could happen. Yet her brother utterly dominated her in their fight. He could have taken a killing blow and finished her, but even when he did the most he did was a pommel strike, actively avoiding using the blade. Essentially, he was toying with her. HER, the strongest of the Empire.

Her pride was also replaced by jealousy. Seeing that within the first few moments of the fight Loten did better than she did. And still seemed to be holding his ground.

She cast a look at her troops, people who would meet her with reverence after every victory. Yet she could see the scared expressions on them, and the fact they didn't even pay attention to her, far more focused on what the outcome of the fight will be.

She couldn't stand it. She WOULDN'T stand it. She WASN'T weak. She could still fight! And seeing her brother fight only made her determined.

She then sped off, with such speed that it almost surpassed anything she has done before. Her Jaegers were shocked but couldn't react fast enough to utter a sound. She closed the distance between her and the two Force users, rapier ready to strike.

But when she got close enough Danek's palm was suddenly pointed in her direction as he made yet another telekinetic blast that sent her flying away towards her troops. Her back made contact with the snow beneath as she slid for a moment. She used her arms for support in getting up, but in the middle of doing that she let out a few coughs that were followed by some drops of blood.

"General!" her Jaegers exclaimed. Bols actually came and helped her up.

"Calm down. We have to let lord Kallig deal with this," he said, and those words made Esdeath even more frustrated.

Her pride was hurt even more if someone could believe such a thing. Not only did her brother figuratively backhanded her out of the fight, but he also did so WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT HER! In her mind, she couldn't have fallen lower than that. The mighty pillar of the Empire, the great symbol of power, was beginning to crumble.

Loten couldn't believe what Esdeath did. What exactly did she think was going to happen? She was battered and bruised, and no doubt exhausted. Perhaps she was bothered more than he thought.

At the current state of the fight, Loten was put on the defensive. Danek switched his style to a more quick and precise one, giving less power and more finesse in his attacks. Loten determined that it was more than likely a high skill in Makashi, a style with which he was good with put not really an expert. His own Soresu defense held up but that is all it could do since the way things were going he wasn't able to pull off a good counter.

Knowing the futility of continuing to make this a pure lightsaber duel, he moved away slightly but not too far. He then shot some Force lightning at Danek, or more specifically his lightsaber. While not seeming practical at first, the move was actually meant to hold the opponent's blade in place, which it did and Loten went to strike with his lightsaber, but Danek's blade wasn't held for long before he brought his azure blade to block Loten's crimson one.

As Danek did a counter swipe Loten did a backflip to avoid the attack. Danek then once again went to close the distance but once again Loten decided to play it smart. He swiped his hand upwards causing some snow to fly at Danek with the purpose of hampering his vision. Danek stopped as the snow hit his lightsaber near his eyes, Loten then went for a quick stab but Danek was able to counter it by using the blade to mode Loten's causing it to slide off course but it was still close that it burned some of the hairs that began to grow on Danek's cheek.

Danek then moved the blade aside before delivering a nasty headbutt to Loten's forehead. The young Inquisitor grunted as his eyes shut in pain from the strike. He berated himself for leaving such an opening. If he wasn't fighting the Hero of Tython then the maneuver may have been more effective but he had no such luck.

The Jedi Master then went for more strikes however this time Loten decided to avoid them by making swift evasions, sidesteps and backflips. He didn't want to risk getting hit again. The Jedi had some serious strength that's for sure.

"I hope you also realize," Danek said as he stopped his onslaught. "You cannot win this fight, Sith. You'll only get yourself killed." He then pointed his blade at Loten. "Leave this planet while you still live. You're only unnecessarily prolonging this fight."

Loten gave out a few pants, only now noticing that he was getting tired.

"Well, I hate to admit this but," Loten began before smirking. "You are absolutely right."

He then made a huge leap backward, covering enough distance to come to the Jaegers and Esdeath, surprising both them and Danek.

"Has Yatsufusa been recovered?" Loten asked.

"Yes!" Kurome exclaimed as she clung to the blade, recovering it sometime during the fight.

"Good," he said before pointing at his ship. "Esdeath, you and the Jaegers retreat into my ship, I'll follow you shortly. We're returning to the capital."

Esdeath was watched Loten like he was insane. "Retreat? You can't be serious," she said through her grit teeth. "I'll rather die than go co-" she didn't get to finish what she was saying before Loten hit her in the head with his lightsaber, knocking her out.

"We don't have time for this!" Loten said as he looked to the Jaegers. "All of you, go now!"

They followed the order and they ran towards the ship, with Bols carrying Esdeath while Wave held Seryu.

Loten then turned to the remaining army. "Now, all of you, attack him!" Loten ordered, his voice amplified by the Force to make sure they heard him.

However, all the soldiers just stood in place, much to Loten's and Danek's confusion. Some of them actually dropped their weapons. This caused a chain reaction where pretty much every soldier dropped his weapon on the snow.

"I'm sorry, sir," the leading commander said defiantly. "But we'd sooner face the wrath of you and Esdeath than of that man."

Loten couldn't believe what was happening as he stood there with his mouth slightly hanging open. He never saw such an act of disobedience. He wondered what could have caused it before coming to a sudden realization. These men respected and feared Esdeath's power, which is why they were loyal to begin with. And seeing their general beaten in such a way and with Loten's own incapability to deal with Danek they feared the Jedi more, and thought getting on his bad side wasn't smart.

Danek actually heard what was said and couldn't stop the smirk from appearing on his lips. This was actually an outcome he wanted, an enemy surrendering once he realized he was outclassed.

"Hmph, fine then," Loten said. "I'll just have to improvise!" He then swung his causing a huge number of troops to fly at Danek before he himself ran towards his ship.

Danek gasped as he saw the men flying in his direction, and put up his hands to stop them from slamming on the ground. Loten smirked at the act of kindness the Jedi displayed. He banked on Loten being one of those kinder Jedi and the gamble paid off.

As he ran towards his ship he was that Run was still standing outside.

"You go, I'll stay and hold him off," Run said before activating his wings and pointed them at Danek who finished putting those soldiers down.

"As you wish," Danek simply said before entering his ship.

Run then fired some of the metal feathers ad Danek who just put out his hand blocked all of the projectiles with the Force. The ship lit up and hummed as it rose from the ground and flew away from the North.

When Run saw that happening he smiled before deactivating his wings.

Danek, on the other hand, looked disappointed. He was hoping he could settle things with Esdeath but she was once again out of his reach. And now he had a Sith to deal with as well.

Danek's attention was then brought to the young man in front of him who just stood there with his hands behind his back, not showing any indication of wanting to fight back.

Run then slowly walked up to him.

"You didn't just stay here so you could just hold me back, did you?" Danek asked.

"Very perceptive of you," Run complimented. "But you are right, that wasn't the only reason. I'm here... to surrender."

* * *

**AN: And here we are! Both battles ended and both ended in a retreat. What will happen to the Revolutionary Army, what will happen to Run now that he surrendered? We'll have to see in the next chapter. And I do hope you enjoyed this one.**

**And I hope that you check out some of my other stories on my profile. And please leave a review. They are good motivators.**

**See you next time!**


	12. 11 Save Your Love

A Look to the Past

**AN: Well this took a bit longer to come out but I hope it was worth the wait. After that battle, I think we all deserve a breather for a little while before any new fights come around, don't you agree? **

**Now to reviews.**

**keybladelight: No, for several reasons. One, it would be pointless filler. Two, the Old Republic is within Legends continuity and The Rise of Skywalker is Disney canon. Three, the Disney movies suck and tarnish the Star Wars name. **

**Glad you liked the battle.**

**Well, you'll find out what he does in this chapter.**

**Dracus6: You'll just have to wait and see.**

**Pedroxmv97: I hope it's in a good way**

**NOT Revan The Edgelord: Glad that you do.**

* * *

11 Save Your Love

Danek just stared curiously at Run, who right now proclaimed his surrender. So it appeared that there was a chance he didn't need to continue fighting. For now at least.

"So, you're surrendering?" Danek asked somewhat skeptically.

"I know that you don't have a reason to trust me, but I am surrendering," Run said in a calm tone.

"Well, there is a way I can confirm what you're saying," Danek said as he deactivated his lightsaber and putting his hand up. "If you'll let me, that is."

Run only looked curiously, wondering what the Jedi had in mind but still gave a nod for him to proceed. From what he saw, he knew Danek didn't mean anything malicious. Danek then put his palm on Run's forehead before he closed his eyes in concentration.

Images of the past, Run's past, began forming into his mind. He saw Run in a classroom, teaching a group of children. All of the children had happy smiles on their faces and Run was also very happy as he taught them. However, one day Run found all his students slaughtered and the town decided to cover up the incident to save face instead of investigating, making Run take things into his own hands which lead him to Esdeath and the Jaegers.

Danek broke the connection and let go of Run's forehead. "I'm sorry," was all he was able to say at that moment. "But I understand now. You are definitely trustworthy."

"I'm relieved to hear that," Run said with a smile. "However, what are you planning on doing about them?" The question came as Run looked behind Danek.

Danek understood what he was talking about. Behind him were located all of Esdeath's soldiers, and most of them were on their knees and bowing in newfound reverence.

"You have proven your might in battle, lord Danek," one of the commanders spoke. "You have the power to topple the Empire, a power that is foolish to go against. We pledge our lives to you."

Danek was honestly stunned to hear that. He was hoping for a surrender, but not for them to devote their lives to him. He wasn't sure what to do in this situation. He was honestly more concerned about his sister and the Sith.

Then his eyes widened for a moment as he came to realize something. If that Sith was here then what about the rest of the Sith Empire? This planet was unoccupied by neither the Republic or the Empire and the Sith surely wasn't going to let it be the case for long. He needed to contact the Republic, and quickly.

"Run!" Danek spoke in an orderly manner. "I need you to take command of these troops. I'm going to be busy for some time. Will you be able to do that?"

"Yes, I'm capable," Run answered. "But what should I do with them?"

"The North needs to regain much of its military back. These soldiers should do nicely. You should take them to the Northern Capital, it should serve as a temporary outpost. Have some of the citizens help you, tell them that you were sent by Danek Partas."

Run's expression turned serious. "Very well, then. I'll make sure it's done."

Danek smiled at him before turning to the officers. "Does any of you know the way to the Northern Capital?"

One of them called out. "I was on a campaign to the Capital before, I can navigate our way there."

"Good, I'll leave this in your capable hands," Danek said before taking out a remote and pushing a few buttons. "I'll need to get back to Revolutionary Army HQ quickly. You can expect me to come in perhaps a week, maybe less."

"Understood," Run said.

Danek gave him a nod before using his Force Speed to depart towards a spot where he ordered his shuttle to land.

* * *

Loten landed his ship away from the Imperial Capital since there was no place within the city to properly park it. When they got out of the ship they immediately departed for the palace. The reactions they got on the way were… expected in Loten's mind.

Many soldiers were shocked to see the Jaegers were a little worse for wear, but the most shocking thing to them was the beaten and bruised Esdeath, her unconscious body being carried by Bols who felt pretty nervous with all the stares directed at him. To say that the sight was discouraging was an understatement.

Loten and the Jaegers hurriedly moved through the streets, Loten wanting to reach the capital as quickly as they can.

The moment they got to the palace door they were met by Xalek and Ashara.

"Master, what happened?" Ashara asked after she saw the state Esdeath was in.

"There was an unexpected turn of events. A certain Jedi got involved and I need to report it," Loten explained.

"Master," Xalek spoke next. He presented Leone that was still in his arms and unconscious. "I retrieved the woman."

Despite the situation, Loten smiled after seeing Leone. "Put her in the dungeon. Make sure she doesn't have a cell that's too uncomfortable." Loten ordered to which the Kaleesh nodded and walked away. Turning to Bols, he ordered. "You bring her to the infirmary. Tell them to patch her up and leave her alone. Trust me, they don't want to be there when she wakes up."

"Oh, alright," Bols said before he went inside to get Esdeath to the infirmary.

"The rest of you," he told the remaining Jaegers which were Wave, Kurome and an unconscious Seryu. "Go and rest. You had enough fighting for today."

Kurome, who was still clinging to her sword, gave a nod and quickly went inside. Wave went inside also but not in as much of a hurry.

"Leave me alone, Ashara. I need to contact Darth Marr." The female Togruta obeyed and walked away. Loten took out his holocommunicator and pushed a series of buttons. The device beeped and began glowing blue but no hologram appeared yet. "Come on, pick up you idiot," Loten muttered under his breath. The connection on this planet was somewhat limited due to it being so far away.

Finally, the figure of Marr appeared on the holo. "What is the reason for this call, Lord Nox?"

"I ran into a problem."

"A problem? Just what exactly on that planet could give you a problem?"

"A Jedi problem. More specifically, The Hero of Tython."

"WHAT?!" Darth Marr screamed, actually making the device shake. "What's he doing there?!"

"It would appear that this planet was also his home. He was here on personal business but now it seems we got his attention."

Marr only rubbed his helmeted head. "Of all the people in the galaxy it had to be him," he muttered a complaint before regaining his composure. "We'll begin sending our ships to that planet immediately. You'll need assistance if you want to defeat the Hero of Tython."

"Then you better hurry. This planet is closer to the Republic borders then to the Empire's," Loten said before ending the call. He gave out a deep sigh. This became way harder way too fast. The presence of Danek Partas made him unsure if he could actually succeed in his endeavor.

He needed to think of something, and fast.

* * *

Danek parked the shuttle at another mountain range, this one closer to the Revolutionary HQ. He was inside, clicking on the holo terminal console.

"Come on, come on," Danek muttered as the holo on the blinked. Soon the projection of Grand Master Satele Shan was projected. Satele Shan was a woman nearing her sixties but didn't look as old, only appearing to have around forty, black hair and blue eyes. She wore a sleeveless bodysuit with golden highlights which also complimented her figure, black fingerless gloves with silver gauntlets in a similar fashion to Akame, black pants, and thigh-high armored boots.

"Ah, Danek. Is there a special reason for this call or is this a friendly chat?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"I wish it was a friendly call, Master Satele, but unfortunately the matter is serious," Danek explained. "I went on a personal mission which ended up a lot more complicated than I thought it'd be. The Sith are on this planet."

That immediately got her serious. "The Sith? What planet are you on? What do the Sith want there?"

"This planet isn't within the Empire or the Republic. This is my home planet, the one from where Master Orgus retrieved me. As for what they want, this planet has special weapons that are imbued with the Dark Side. They aren't technologically advanced but they can give someone abilities and physically enhance them. Darth Nox of the Dark Council himself came to retrieve them."

"If the Dark Council is involved then this matter is extremely serious," Satele said. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Could you give us the coordinates?" Danek nodded and typed in the coordinates. "Thank you, Danek. We'll be there as soon as possible. May the Force be with you."

"With you as well, Master Satele," Danek said before the transmission ended.

Danek sighed, opened the door of the shuttle and headed back to the Revolutionary Army HQ. He wasn't expecting things to turn out like this and he didn't know how it will all turn out, and that worried him.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

Leone groaned as her eyes fluttered open. She felt herself lying on something hard and cold. When her sight adjusted she was met with a stone ceiling that was pretty close to her. She sat up and began rubbing her head.

"God, what hit me?" she asked she tried to get rid of the pain at the back of her skull. Her memories then started returning, the invasion, the fighting, the two lightsaber wielders, Lubbock's death. It all came to her.

She got a better look at the place she was in, seeing that other than the stone walls one of them consisted of metal bars. It didn't take long for her to connect the dots. "Oh, I'm in deep shit," she groaned out. She then checked her belt buckle and confirmed another suspicion. "Yeah, they took Lionel."

She also noticed that there was a wooden bed held by chains on the right wall, with a blanket that fell down. Perhaps she fell from it before she woke up.

"Well, no getting out of this one easily, Leone," she told herself.

"That may as well be the case," she heard a familiar voice speak. Her eyes widened in shock and surprise as she saw who it was standing just outside the dungeon.

"L-Loten?" she then walked up to the bars to get look at him more closely. "Is that… is that really you?"

She could honestly hardly recognize him. He was taller than before and despite the dark robes he wore she could tell he got more built. His eyes were also different, now being of some sinister yellow color and the black veins coming from around his eyes. His demeanor was also different. The straight posture and confident smile made quite a contrast from what she remembered.

Despite that, Loten's expression became a soft one, even a somewhat comforting one despite the sinister features. "Yes, Leone," he said as he brought his hand through the bars and cupped her cheek. "It's me."

* * *

_A seventeen-year-old Loten lay on the roof of a mansion within the Imperial Capital. Unlike his future self, his eyes were colored green. He was a lot leaner, short of being malnourished, and his clothes were only a step above rags._

_He was laying on his back, his hands behind his head as he looked up in the night sky. That was one of the few things that could calm him. Coming to the roof at night and looking at the stars, marveling in their beauty. If his master found out there would probably be a punishment but to him, it was worth the risk, to get himself lost in the great vastness of the starry sky. The times when the sky was cloudy was when he felt the most disappointed._

_"Hey there!" a chirpy came next to him which made him jump up in fright. He saw a beautiful girl blond hair and yellow sitting there with a happy smile on her face. She wore a revealing shirt with no sleeves and very short shorts. "What are you doing up here?"_

_"I… I…" he stammered for a response. "Oh, please don't tell my master about this. I just come here a little, and I-"_

_The girl quickly put her hands up. "Hey, hey, hey, calm down. It's alright. I don't plan on ratting you out," she said before rubbing her head ashamedly. "Besides, I shouldn't be here either. My boss would definitely flip."_

_"Oh… I see," Loten said before somewhat regaining his composure. "Why… did you come here?"_

_"I spotted you coming here and I was curious, so I climbed up to check. Is there any particular reason why you're here?"_

_"I… well… I like to look at the stars at night. It calms me," Loten answered before once again looking up._

_"Are you… a slave?" she asked. Loten stiffened for a moment before simply nodding. The girl then moved closer to him, causing Loten to feel more uneasy. "I'm sorry to hear that. Nobody deserves such fate."_

_Loten simply closed his eyes, not really having anything to say to that. He then felt something on his shoulder which startled him and he backed away slightly._

_"Whoa there, are you alright? I only touched your shoulder," she said as she looked at him curiously. _

_"I… I'm… I'm sorry, it's just-"_

_"Don't worry about it, I get it," she said in a soothing tone, one which Loten really liked. "Tell me, what's your name?"_

_"Loten," he answered._

_"Hi, Loten. I'm Leone," she introduced herself before giving her hand for a handshake. Loten stared at it for a few moments before he reluctantly took it and shook. "Man, do I really put you that much on edge?" she asked which caused him to look down in shame. A smile graced her face again. "You know, I work in a massage parlor across the street. Perhaps I could give you one so you aren't so stiff anymore." She then moved behind Loten. "Will that be ok?"_

_Loten only looked back, weighing options in his mind. No one ever offered anything so nice to him so he wasn't sure. But seeing how this girl acted he was put more at ease. "Alright."_

_"Trust me, you won't regret it," she said before she moved into a proper position. "Can you remove your shirt?"_

_Loten blushed when he heard that but obliged. Some of the scars he received due to his punishments were seen but that didn't repel Leone in any way. She then put her soft hands on his shoulders and began working her magic._

_Loten gave a small gasp as he felt her hands move, kneading his stiff muscles. She moved slowly but delicately, a feeling of strange warmth spreading through Loten as he experienced this pleasant sensation. His muscles relaxed and he gave a sigh._

_"Do you like it?" she asked as she continued._

_"Yes," he said in a soft tone._

_She continued, going also to his shoulder blades and upper back. Loten felt like he was experiencing nirvana as Leone administered her skills. He never felt so good in his life, and it was a sensation he never wanted to be rid of._

_He became so relaxed that he began leaning back, an action that Leone noticed but encouraged as she helped him lean on her shoulder. Feeling his head on her soft skin made him look up at her. "Leone?"_

_"It's alright, you can stay like that."_

_"Leone," he said as he smiled and closed his eyes. "Thank you."_

_They continued to meet like that for the next month, both sneaking out of their respective buildings and meeting on the roof to talk, becoming real friends shortly after their first meeting. It was a shame they couldn't meet during the day as Loten was kept inside during that time._

_Loten right now was waiting for Leone to come. But while he waited he looked at his fingers, an occasion crackle and spark of electricity coming from them. It was something he discovered a little while ago, and it seemed to come when he was focused and angry. It's something he definitely kept from his master and from Leone, though he did plant to eventually tell her._

_"Hey, Loten," he heard Leone call out and stopped what he was doing before turning to her. "Ready for another massage?"_

_"From you, always," he said with a smile before letting her work her magic on him. After another session, he felt like he was in heaven. "I wish I could repay you somehow."_

_"Oh, don't say that. You're in a worse position than I am, so you deserve it," she explained._

_Loten just gave a sigh. "I know that, but still I don't like that I'm the only one receiving something."_

_"Well, there is one thing that you give me," she said somewhat mischievously._

_He went to ask her what it was but the moment he turned his head his lips were set upon by her own, causing his eyes to go wide in shock. After properly registering what was going on he gave in and kissed back._

_After a while they needed to breathe and separated with a small trail of saliva between them. "Leone, I…" he stammered but smiled and put his hand on her cheek. "I honestly don't know what to say."_

_She just smiled back at him. "Then don't say anything."_

* * *

Loten was still holding Leone's cheek as she looked at him shocked, but a smile would never leave his face.

"You've grown even more beautiful than before," he said. His eyes then wandered on her body and choice of attire. "And not afraid to show it."

"Loten," she said quietly before pulling away from his hand, which made him feel disappointed at losing her touch. "What happened to you? I thought you were dead. I thought I'd never see you again."

"Oh, many things happened to me, but I'm sure that you're talking about that incident all those years ago," he said as he positioned his hands behind his back. "You see, our secret didn't last forever."

* * *

_Loten was now walking to his room to get ready to sleep. Or at least pretend to do it. He was meeting with Leone later this evening, something he waited excitedly, but he tried not to show it outwards. _

_Just as he was about to enter his room, a female slave called out to him. "What is it?"_

_"It's the master. He wants to speak with you," she explained._

_Loten was now worried. Of all the favors he had to do for his master not once was he called to speak with him. Sweat began forming on his head but he tried to remain calm. "Thank you for informing me. I'll go to him."_

_Then he went to the dining room of the mansion, a candle-lit place filled with lavish paintings, furniture, and pottery, all acquired through the master's weapons trading business. His master sat on one of the chairs with a few bottles of wine on a nearby table. The man himself was of average height but over average weight. He wore a fancy white suit and had a nicely trimmed beard, a glass of wine in his hand._

_"You… needed to see me, master?"_

_"Tell me, Loten, have I been kind to you?" the man asked, to which Loten didn't reply as he couldn't say anything without it sounding disingenuous. "Of course I have. I give you a place to live, I cloth you and I give you food. All I ask is that you behave." He then took a sip of wine. "But then you decide to go sneak out of the mansion without permission."_

_Loten's panic was now in full swing, he couldn't stop the sweat from forming. His fears have been realized, he was discovered and now he would suffer the consequences._

_"One of my guards saw you sneaking out last night," the master then proceeded to explain. "And with a girl, no less."_

_Loten had a hard time controlling his breathing. He knew about Leone too. The fear felt for what would happen to her dwarfed whatever fear he felt for himself._

_"I remember that girl, she gave me a good massage when I visited that parlor across the street. And quite beautiful too," he said with a grin on his face. "Now, there is one thing you can do to make me forgive you."_

_That caught Loten off guard. "Huh?"_

_"You will bring this girl to me, and I _might_ forgive you."_

_Loten couldn't believe what the man was suggesting. He was willing to forgive him only if he betrayed Leone. Loten's fists clenched, his teeth gnashed. His body began to shake as the rage within him began bubbling. The thought of what this man would do to her loosened any restraint he put on himself._

_"No."_

_His master blinked at that. "I'm sorry, what did you say, boy?"_

_"I said," Loten growled out, his eyes narrow in anger as he pointed at his master. "You won't have her!" _

_Then suddenly, lightning shot out of his finger and hit the man square in the chest, causing him to yell in pain and fall on the floor with the wine glass breaking. Loten looked at his finger shock, not expecting that to happen. He knew that he had a strange ability but nothing like this._

_Remembering that whatever he was doing wasn't restricted to a single finger, he pointed his hand at the downed man who still looked at him, replicating the emotions he felt before and this time lighting shot out of all his fingers and hit his master, making him once again yell out in pain. Loten's breathing was now heavier as a smile graced his lips. He shot another bolt at him. And another._

_"Stop! Stop it!" the master cried out but only got another longer blast shot at him as Loten began chuckling, starting to enjoy the man's pain. "Ahhhh! Guards! GUARDS!"_

_Loten stopped his assault and quickly turned around, seeing two guards enter the room with spears ready._

_"What is going on here?!" one of them demanded._

_Loten, not wanting to be captured put both of his hands out and shot lightning at the guards. The guards began screaming in pain as well, their metal helmets only making it easier for the lighting to fry their brains before they fell dead on the ground._

_Turning back and glaring at his master, who now looked at Loten in complete fear, he put pointed with both of his hands and shot a continuous blast of lightning at him. The man continued to scream, several stray lightning bolts hit the carpet, the drapes, and couches, setting them on fire. One of them even hit the wine bottles making them explode._

_Loten shielded his eyes from the wind blast caused by the explosion before looking at the scene before him. His master lay dead, but the many things were set on fire which was spreading fast._

_Loten quickly bolted out to avoid getting caught in the fire, running past several panicked servants. Some guards went to stop him but a few smaller lightning blasts incapacitated them. He quickly found himself at the front door and wasted no time before getting out. Several people followed him out the fire inside the mansion began to spread._

_Loten then leaned onto the wall of a nearby building, letting out tired breaths as he did and sweating. What happened in there has taken its toll on him. He then looked back and saw that the mansion was now in flames with several people gathered around to witness it._

_Knowing that he would most likely be captured again, he ran away from there. However, several tears streamed down his face as he thought that his chances of seeing Leone again were almost nonexistent._

* * *

"Sometime after that, a Sith scout found me after sensing my power," Loten continued explaining. "And soon after that, my life turned for the new and I found my true calling. Not a slave, but a master." He then spread his arms slightly. "Now, here I am, a changed man."

Leone only stared at him as he explained what happened. All this time she thought she lost him in that fire, she cried herself to sleep several nights after that. Now she got to see him again, and as a completely different person from before.

"So you became a Sith?" she asked, remembering what Danek explained to her about the Sith.

Loten raised his brow at that. "Oh, so you know what a Sith is? I suppose you already met Danek Partas if that is the case, though it's honestly not that surprising. I'm sure he would want to a part of the Revolutionary Army."

"So this is what you fell down to? Working for the Empire?" she asked in a disappointed tone.

Loten chuckled at the question. "Oh, I wouldn't say working exactly. My position in the Thousand Year Empire is only next to the Emperor, though since he does like to listen to my advice it effectively makes me in charge. So I'm not working for anybody in here."

"You… I don't believe it," she said as she gritted her teeth. "Why? Why are you doing this? You should hate them! You should hate the Empire for what they've done to you! For what they've done to other people! Why are you helping them?!"

"Oh, I did hate them, you can count on that," Loten said before smirking. "But I learned that it's pointless. Fighting corruption doesn't change anything. Power is something that matters the most. And all that suffering turned me into what I am. A man with power, one of the most powerful in this galaxy."

"This… this isn't you," Leone said, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes. "You were never after power. All you wanted was to be free. You wanted to help others."

"I told you, I'm a changed man."

"Well, I don't like that changed man!"

"I don't expect you to immediately, but you'll get used to it eventually," he said before gesturing with his hand. "Now please, come closer."

Instead of complying she began backing away from the bars. "No, Loten, I-" She didn't get to finish as she suddenly stopped against her will before an invisible force pulled her back. Her face was put at the bars where Loten quickly gave her a kiss; she tried to struggle but to no avail.

Loten pulled back and smirked, releasing his telekinetic hold on her. "Trust me, Leone. Once I've finished with this farce we'll go back where we started. But until then I need to hold you as a prisoner. You're still a part of Night Raid after all." He then began walking away. "Don't worry, this is only temporary and I'll make sure things don't get too uncomfortable for you." And with that, he was gone.

Leone then sat on her dungeon bed. She put her hands on her eyes before starting to sob. She lost her friend on the battlefield, and now she lost another to corruption.

* * *

**AN: And that is all for now. As you probably have guessed already, yes, Leone was the one Loten mentioned from his past. I really hope you liked their interactions.**

**Now I'm going to go a bit off-topic here, but I feel that I should address this High Republic announcement and what are my thoughts on it. Honestly, I'm not too much of a fan. Having it set 200 years in the past doesn't seem all that special since the Republic and the Jedi have been there for thousands of years even in the Disney canon. And the fact that diversity was mentioned twice on their board of ideas makes me worry since we know how the movies ended up when diversity was prioritized. They also mentioned the Sith Empire despite the fact that the Prequels established that they've been gone for a thousand years. I think I'll check it out, but my hopes aren't high.**

**But enough about my ramblings. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. And check out my other stories, you won't regret it.**

**See you next time!**


	13. 12 Save the Hero of the North

A Look to the Past

**AN: Hello my dear readers! I finally upload this story after a while. Now I know this one is on the shorter side but I promise you it's worth it. And I must say I'm happy with how much this story is growing with you, I appreciate it.**

**Now to reviews**.

**keybladelight: Well, he wasn't a Sith lord during that time but yeah, she was.**

**They definitely will.**

**Guest: I thank you so much for the appreciation you show to this story. It means a lot to me. And don't worry, I don't plan on abandoning this story in any way. I have an ending in mind and I promise I will finish it. But I do agree that some good stories are unfortunately never finished so I hope I don't end up like that. And that is a pretty good scenario you thought of but I can't promise it will go like that. You'll just have to wait and see.**

* * *

12 Save the Hero of the North

To say that the atmosphere within Revolutionary Army HQ was uneasy would be an understatement. After the loss they suffered in their invasion of the Imperial Capital everyone felt all sorts of negative emotions. Anger, fear, shame, sorrow, rage, despair, regret, everything from the negative spectrum permeated the entire hideout.

After they thought they had their moment of victory, it was suddenly wrenched from their grasp. Their time of triumph of which they could finally tell their loved ones and assure them the time of corruption and tyranny would finally end turned out to be non-existent and all they had to show for it were losses they suffered. Many even considered giving up on the Revolutionary Army altogether, not seeing the point in continuing to fight for an impossible cause.

At the meeting room, the chain of command wasn't faring much better.

"This is a disaster!" one of the commanders said after slamming his fist on the table.

"I couldn't agree more," a female commander spoke. "We barely have half of our troops still alive, and with morale as low as it is, we might lose even more."

"All the years of work, recruitment, and training, all gone to waste! And why?! Because we trusted that Partas bastard!"

Najenda decided to chime in. "Commander Marco, your accusations are unnecessary. I'm sure he was unaware of the Sith being there."

"Oh, really? So just because you're smitten with him we have good reason to trust him."

Najenda's eye narrowed. "He told us that he would bring Esdeath away from the capital, and he did. If he really tricked us then Esdeath would have surely returned while we were attacking the capital."

"Everyone, calm down!" Lorag said with his commanding voice. "We should focus on how to proceed from here, not argue."

"And what exactly can we do?" Marco asked. "We are half as strong as before, two of Night Raid members dead or captured, and our most powerful warrior was outmatched by only one of those 'Sith', and he can't certainly fight two?"

Before anyone could voice their thoughts they suddenly heard some commotion coming from down the hall, along with some sort of whirling sound, as if something was flying through the air. They could also make out several sentences like 'What is that thing?!' or 'By the gods!'

Then they hurried to see what was going on. After coming to the docking bay, they were met with a strange sight, a metallic object floating in mid-air picking up wind around it before taking out small legs and landing on the rocky ground. Everyone gathered around kept their distance, careful about how to react.

With a sharp hiss, the hatch opened and Danek walked out of his shuttle with an even pace. He noticed the people here and even Najenda and the other leaders of the revolution.

The moment Najenda saw who it was she felt all her worries go away before walking up to him. "Where is Esdeath?" she simply asked.

"Gone. A Sith Lord came to help her and he was able to distract me, which led to her escape," Danek explained.

"I see," Najenda said before taking a smoke. "We also fought Sith at the capital, we lost."

Danek was shocked to hear that but he couldn't say that he was all that surprised. Of course, that Sith wasn't alone and considering his power his allies should have also been powerful enough. He then glanced over the other commanders and saw that they weren't too pleased with his arrival. He couldn't blame them, he himself wasn't feeling all that pleased.

"I'm… sorry, all of you," he said, not just talking to the commanders but Najenda and everyone who was here. "I gave you hope, I convinced you that you would be able to bring the end to this Empire. I defeated Esdeath but I couldn't capture her. I'm sorry for any loss you suffered. I promise you, I'll make this right."

Marco scoffed. "Yeah, like one apology is going-" he was interrupted by an elbow to the chest by Lorag.

"That's enough already," he said before putting his arms behind his back. He approached Danek while motioning to Najenda to give them some space which she did. Lorag looked Danek straight in the eyes. "Son, I have had plenty of experiences in wartime and from what I've seen, so did you. And there was one constant thing that I've been able to see in my many years. Every time a mission didn't go as planned and someone dies, the survivors felt guilt, blaming themselves for what happened to their comrades. But the times the mission failed were due to unforeseen circumstances, something that wasn't their fault yet still they seemed to think they should have seen it coming." He then put a hand on Lorag's shoulder. "You have no reason to blame yourself, it's war, and unexpected scenarios happen, they hardly never do. And my spies reported to me what happened several days after the invasion, I know you speak the truth. You kept your end of the bargain, no need to feel ashamed for someone else throwing a wrench in the plans."

Danek stood silently for a moment, only staring at the aged general before giving him a smile. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate it." In a way, this man reminded Danek of General Var Suthra and felt like the Mon Calamari could have been giving that speech to him.

Lorag smiled back. "You're welcome," he said before retracting his hand. "But you must not despair. Despite Esdeath escaping and those 'Sith' defeating us, we still earned a measure of victory." Those words got a lot of people's attention. "Word has already begun to spread, of a hero who liberated the North from the Empire and defeated its strongest warrior, a word that I help to spread. Our loss is great, but your victory was greater.

"You, my boy, have done something thought impossible by many. We may have lost in our assault but if I'm being honest many people expected it to happen. But what you did was completely unexpected." A wide smile spread on his lips. "You were able to liberate the North singlehandedly, and defeated general Esdeath and forced her to retreat. While some people may lose faith in us, that faith will be more than regained if we have you on our side. You said you gave us hope, but you don't know you didn't give it to just us, because Esdeath's defeat speaks more than our own."

The general then extended his hand for a handshake.

"So I ask you, Hero of the North, will you join us once again as an official member of the Revolutionary Army? If people hear that you fight beside us then our defeat won't matter, more will join us and show us their support." His voice was strong, making the atmosphere of the room brighten, the soldiers who felt despair seemed to regain their vigor. "I ask you again, Danek of the Partas clan, will you join us?"

Danek then stared at the general's hand, some of that brightness returning to him as well. His answer was clear.

He quickly grabbed the general's hand and shook it.

"You have my full support."

Cheers began chanting from the soldiers of the room, Najenda even smiling as she looked at the two.

The female commander from before leaned into Marco's ear. "I think his apology is more than enough," she whispered.

"I, uh… yeah," was the only thing he could say.

* * *

Esdeath slowly began gaining consciousness. After a while of spending time in pure blackness, her eyes began slowly flutter open. Her sight was blurry but she noticed that whatever room she was in wasn't lit, signifying that it was dark outside.

She groaned as she felt a splitting headache at the back of her skull, her hand quickly going there to nurse it. She rose up while still rubbing her head, tiredness slowly leaving her. Her ears picked up several quick steps going away from her but she didn't pay attention to them too much.

She then looked around and saw that she was in her own room, sleeping in her own queen-sized bed. She looked at the glass double doors that led to her balcony to confirm that it was dark outside, the half-moon shining in the sky among the endless stars.

Looking at her attire Esdeath noticed she wasn't dressed in her General garb but her white button-up blouse and white shorts. Pushing the covers away she got up from her bed and walked barefoot on the floor. Looking at the mirror in her room Esdeath noticed several patches on her face and a bandage on her nose. Frustratingly, she ripped the bandage off and those patches, seeing some small wounds on around her left eye, her cheek and upper lip, along with some bruises on her chin.

The door to her room then opened, letting some light from the hall in. "Nice to see you up and running," came a familiar voice as she looked at the yellow eyes of Loten Kallig who walked in calmly with his hands behind his back. "You were out for a few days if that's what you're wondering. I suppose my strike to your head and the exhaustion were the main factors. Sorry about that by the way."

Her mind then recollected the previous events. Meeting her older brother after so many years, fighting him and _losing_. Badly at that. Her fists clenched, her eyes narrowed, mouth forming into a snarl as it all came back to her. The entire fight she was losing, none of her attacks worked, her subverting tactics all countered, her powers useless. Only her Mahapadma, her trump card, was effective but only briefly before failing as well.

That wasn't a simple defeat but pure _humiliation_, especially after she learned he was holding back and later just pushed her aside like she was insignificant.

"I see that you're frustrated," Loten commented. "Do you want to talk about it?"

With a rough sigh, she answered. "I just… I just want to be alone for a while," she said.

Loten stared at her for a moment before replying. "Very well." There was an understanding of her situation in his voice. He knew that her emotional wounds dug deeper than her physical ones even when they were fresh. "You should also take some time to sleep. It will be good for you to regain your strength." And with that, he exited her room, giving her time to think.

Esdeath sighed again though calmly this time. She knew that those words didn't mean her physical strength as she felt she regained it. She decided to get some fresh air and walked out on the balcony. She undid her blouse halfway, letting the cool air hit her with a relaxing feeling. Thanks to her clan's natural resilience to cold, the chilly air only felt pleasant.

She put her forearms on the railings and leaned on it. Oh, how she wished Tatsumi was here again, to see his bright smile which brought great warmth to her heart. It would at least purge those lingering thoughts in her head.

She once again began mulling over the past few events, letting every scene play out in her head; she could still hardly believe it. All her years of being on top of the food chain in this world, so many times of crushing her enemies under her boot, and now she suffered her first real defeat.

Esdeath felt something she never thought she would feel… being weak. The mere thought of it made her blood boil. But after being toyed around by her brother as she was she couldn't help but think over things. How was he so strong? Was it simply this Force that made him so much more powerful than her? But then again the same line of logic could be applied to her Demon Extract.

But with all the things her father taught her, she spent her life to make sure she _never_ became weak. Yet just a little while ago Esdeath found herself at Danek's mercy, despite thinking such a thing would be ludicrous. He was weak, her father taught her that people with his characteristics end up weak.

"Your mind is in turmoil, my child," a voice came behind, surprising her since she couldn't hear anyone walk in and her senses were the most attuned in the world. She quickly turned around and the moment she laid eyes on what that person her surprise quadrupled.

In front of her stood… her mother. Except, she was glowing blue and her body was transparent. A ghost?

"What… what kind of a trick is this?" Esdeath said ready to tear someone apart with her bare hands if necessary.

"There is no trick, my daughter. I'm here," her mother spoke in a soft comforting tone, a warm smile appearing on her face.

"You're dead. You aren't here," Esdeath stated as she stared at her mother's apparition.

"I am dead, yes," Marena said. "But I'm definitely here." Her ethereal hand began inching closer to Esdeath's cheek. "Oh, you don't know how much it saddens me to see you like this, my little snowflake."

"Go away!" Esdeath said frustratingly as she swiped at her mother's hand only for it to pass through.

Marena just walked up, and looked down at her daughter, her hand near Esdeath's cheek but not touching her.

"Why do you continue living like this? Why do you reject your brother's words?"

"I said go away!" Esdeath then walked through Marena's spiritual body. "My brother is weak, and so were you. The fact that you're here doesn't change the fact that you're dead."

Marena just turned back to her daughter with a sad look on her face. "Why do you continue listening to your father, even after he is dead as well?"

"Because unlike you, he knew how the world worked? He was weak and so died, even acknowledging that fact."

"Did he really know the world worked? Didn't you think through his ideals?" Marena asked as if she was scolding Esdeath. "Wouldn't that make anyone below you weak since you could kill them?"

"Enough, I already had enough lectures given to me by Danek! I don't need them from some dead woman!"

"You mean the dead woman who is still here and your father isn't?" Marena asked making Esdeath look at her surprised. "I may have died but I was still able to live through my physical death. Has your father ever achieved it?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Esdeath asked.

"I was attuned with the Force, the same way your brother is," Marena said, shocking Esdeath. "We were able to draw upon the energy of the universe and gained a broader understanding of it. And Danek was able to defeat you pretty easily."

Esdeath scoffed at what her mother said. But then she thought about it and smiled. "Very well then, I'll just have to ask Loten to teach me about it. We'll see how powerful he is then."

Marena sighed before shaking her head. "You don't understand the ways of the Sith. Treachery follows them wherever they go, and believe me, my daughter, he will end up betraying you in the end." She walked up to Esdeath again. "Please, I'm telling you this for your own good. You'll only end up hurt."

"Oh, is that so?" Esdeath asked, dismissing her mother's concern. "Or maybe you're afraid that I'll end up proving you wrong once Loten begins teaching me."

"Esdeath, even if he teaches you he won't let you become more powerful than he is. He sees you as a tool and will discard you when you cease being useful in his eyes. He has done so before. Loten doesn't think highly of you, that's just a ruse and a lie. He thinks you're unhinged, a weapon that goes too much out of control."

"I think it's time for you to disappear. I heard enough," Esdeath said dismissively as she crossed her arms.

"Is that kind of attitude you're planning to have with Tatsumi?" Marena asked, knowing that it was a subject that will make Esdeath still want to speak to her, even for a little bit.

That question caught off guard.

"What are you talking about? What does he have to do with this?"

"He won't accept you as you are now, especially since you refuse to listen to him. He doesn't hold the same beliefs as you do and completely opposes them."

"I'll make him see it my way. I'll bring him back to me, and eventually, he will agree with me."

Much to Esdeath's surprise, Marena chuckled. "It's kind of ironic. Varen told me the same thing."

That actually got Esdeath's curiosity though she didn't voice it.

"He told me that once I was married to him I would eventually see things his way, in time I would grow to accept it. And I'm sure you're aware how that turned out," Marena said. "Is that how you want your relationship with Tatsumi to be, the same as I and your father had?" Esdeath's fist was beginning to clench. "Please, join your brother. He will show you where true strength lies, and you will be reunited with Tatsumi. He will accept you then." She then reached for Esdeath's chin. "Please, listen to your mother."

Esdeath just moved away, glaring at her mother. "Get out of here! NOW!"

Marena stood there with her mouth open. She honestly expected something like this would happen, that her daughter wouldn't listen to her. But she still had to at least try. Tears would have welled up in her eyes but none appeared.

"If that is what you wish, then I'll leave," she said as she began disappearing. "But keep my words in your mind, Esdeath. You'll see the truth one day. Farewell, my little snowflake."

And with those words, Marena was completely gone.

Esdeath groaned and went to sit on her bed, her hands grasping her head. She honestly wasn't sure what to make of this. Was her mother really here or was she just going insane? But her words still lingered in her head, and doubt was put where certainty lay before.

Right now, Esdeath was more confused than she ever was.

* * *

**AN: And that is the end of this chapter. It was mostly just some character interaction but I hope I made it meaningful. I'm afraid we won't get some proper action in a while so I hope that you are patient until then.**

**Again, I implore you to check out my other stories, I even recently finished one so you don't have to wait on updates for it. And leave a review. They are great motivators.**

**See you next time!**


	14. 13 Save Our Plans

A Look to the Past

**AN: Hello there, my dear readers. I decided that I made you wait long enough so I went and finished this chapter for you. Sorry if I made you wait for too long.**

**Now to reviews.**

**Pyromania101: She is going to interact with him, but I'm not sure if it will be soon. And you'll just have to see.**

**keybladelight: Danek already has Kira as his padawan during the time of the story so that probably won't happen.**

**You'll have to see how this goes.**

**Guest(1): Those are quite interesting predictions, but I can't say that they will come to pass. And you'll see how the characters are going to react to all that.**

**Dracus6: That they will.**

**Guest(2): Well, here it is. And don't worry, I'm fine. You stay safe as well.**

**Guest(3): That would be great to see, but you'll just have to wait until we get there.**

**Lonewanderer: Your questions will be answered in time. And I wasn't really planning on having the two talk about Revan, but I think I'll manage it somehow. And yeah, I agree that Revan and Meetra could have been handled differently in the game.**

* * *

13 Save Our Plans

Loten Kallig was running through options within his mind. He needed a definitive way to defeat Danek Partas, but he wasn't sure what exactly would work. Perhaps he and his apprentices could face him at the same time and probably overpower him? No, that wouldn't work. Even the three of them combined were not a match for him. Danek wouldn't hold back as he did with Loten and would probably go for the kill immediately. The man was just that powerful.

So now Danek walked through the hallways, his thoughts blinding him to everything around him. He couldn't let this planet out of his grasp, it was his right to have it. The blood and sweat of his ancestors was the one that built the foundation and the means of which this planet runs. If he was honest with himself he would say that it was fate, his family falling from grace where he ended up in slavery only to rise from it and become a Sith to reclaim what rightfully belongs to him.

But, of course, the presence of the Hero of Tython throws a wrench in his plans. He had no doubt that he would join the Revolutionary Army, and while they were defeated, Loten could already hear the talks of Esdeath's own defeat and was sure that more people were going to flock over to the man who defeated the undefeatable general of the Thousand Year Empire, and since he would be with the rebel army they would more than likely replenish any losses they suffered.

That Jedi needed to be dealt with, not just because he is a threat to this Empire but the entire Sith Empire. But who had the power to match him? Darth Jadus? Darth Malgus? He wasn't even sure if that was the case.

No, the Jedi couldn't be overpowered. Loten would need to play it smart. He thought about what he could do to finally put an end to the Jedi, something that could catch him off guard enough for him to beat. But what exactly?

He pondered on what he could do, running through many options and scenarios. There must be something.

Then his eyes widened for a moment in realization before a satisfied smile spread across his face. Of course, there was definitely _one_ thing he could do. It was risky and quite a gamble but definitely worth trying out. Now all he needed was time and convincing Emperor Makoto.

He was soon snapped out of his thoughts. "Sir!" he turned around to see a servant that called out to him. His head turned so quickly that it gave the servant a fright and a slight shake. "Oh, uh… sorry for… um, interrupting you, my lord. But, it would appear that the Prime Minister's… excuse me, late Prime Minister's son Syura has returned from his trip."

The Prime Minister had a son? Loten was honestly somewhat surprised to hear this. He thought that if the man had children he would have probably met them right now, especially after what he had done to him.

"That's an… interesting piece of information. Is there anything else?"

"Well, you see, he requested to meet with his father. I… would have explained to him about the man's fate, but he was impatient and ordered me to go quickly. So, I thought that since you took the place of the Prime Minister for a time being maybe you would clear the situation for him. I-if it's not too much of a trouble for you, my lord."

Loten honestly wanted to refuse, he didn't need to deal with this right now. He wanted to put his plan into motion as soon as possible and the distractions like these only got in the way. The counterattack from the Revolutionary Army is definitely coming but he wasn't sure just when exactly.

Still, he also didn't know what this Syura was like and if he would be a nuisance. Perhaps leaving him alone wouldn't be a smart course of action.

With a sigh, he told the servant to direct to where Syura was.

* * *

The said man was currently waiting at the empty throneroom, honestly surprised that his father wasn't here. Though, he did enjoy that servant's fear when he demanded to bring his father here.

Syura was a well-built man with tan skin, white hair and golden eyes, with an x-shaped scar on his face being a noticeable feature. He was dressed in a skintight white that showed much if his muscular stomach, long white sleeves, and pants.

He wasn't in there alone, however. With him were five other people, members of a team he formed himself, Wild Hunt.

One of them was a really fat dark-skinned man, who wore clown makeup and clothes. He also wore a small baseball cap with a smiley face on his barely haired head.

Another was a young woman with hair done in a bob-cut, bunny ear accessories on her head and a pair of glasses. She wore a minidress, choker and wristbands, and boots. She also held a microphone in her hand.

Another was a tall man dressed in clothing resembling a samurai, his black hair done in a ponytail. He also held a twig in his mouth and one of his hands was on his sheathed katana.

Next was someone who appeared to be a young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her small height, blue dress, and white apron were adding to her looking innocent.

Next was a lean man whose hair was styled in a triangular bob-cut and his eyes were light-colored. He was dressed similarly to Syura just with his shirt and sleeves colored black. He also had a slightly deranged look in his eyes.

Respectively, they were named Champ, Cosmina, Izou, Dorothea and Enshin.

This was the team he collected during his travels, the best fighters he could find and equip with Imperial Arms, except for Izou who preferred to use his regular katana. Syura was eager to show what they were capable of to his old man.

If he ever arrives, that is.

Syura paced impatiently, arms crossed and his face twisted in a frown. He wondered what could be keeping his father so long. Surely it wasn't to overlook all the damage reports from the recent invasion, Prime Minister Honest was too lazy for such a thing. Syura was honestly glad he wasn't in the capital during the attack otherwise things might have gotten complicated.

Then he heard the door of the room open and, expecting to see his father, turned to the person with a smirk on his face but it quickly disappeared when he saw that it wasn't his father but some black-robed foreigner with peculiar eyes.

Loten looked at the group and his eyes narrowed, not really expecting to see anyone else there.

"Oh, look at him," Cosmina commented with a smile on her face as she eyed Loten like a piece of meat. "What a cutie."

"Don't jump his bones just yet," Dorothea told her.

Syura just frowned and approached Loten.

"Ah, you must be Syura," Loten said.

"Who I am is none of your business," Syura said rudely. "Where is the Prime Minister?"

Instead of answering, Loten just smirked. "You know, if I didn't know any better I would have thought you were some sort of desert belly dancer."

That got some of his teammates to chuckle while Syura's eye lit up with fury, his teeth were grit so hard that they almost began to crack.

"How dare you, you insolent foreigner!" Syura yelled out as he approached to the man who insulted him. "I am the son of the Prime Minister!" He then clenched his fist and went for a strike. "And I'll make sure you learn your place!"

Then, just as Syura's fist was about to connect with Loten's face, he began feeling a tight grip around his throat, stopping him in his place and making him let out a dry gasp. Syura's eyes widened and tried to pry off whatever was holding his throat but his hands found nothing. Then he could also feel himself being lifted off the ground.

Loten then held out his hand with several of his fingers in a squeezing motion. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, you should watch how you behave here. People here can be a bit sensitive," he mockingly said before pushing his hand forward and launching Syura away, making him skid on the carpeted ground.

The others were surprised by what they saw. They honestly expected for Syura to pummel another person to the ground for disobedience, and give a lecture about respect as he slowly killed them, but he ended up being tossed like a ragdoll.

Loten then approached Syura who was gasping for breath. "And I'm sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but your father was executed for treason and now I currently occupy his position."

That got Syura's attention immediately and he turned to glare at Loten. "What?! How the fuck is that even possible?!"

"Well, your father did try to have me killed with assassins, so our Emperor acted according to the law and ordered for his execution for trying to murder a delegate," Loten explained as he continued to smile mockingly.

"Don't give me that bullshit!" Syura said before standing up. "My father runs this Empire, the Emperor wouldn't do shit without my father's permission!"

"Well, I can be pretty convincing," Loten said vaguely. "But that doesn't change the fact that your father is dead, so as a son of the EX and DEAD Prime Minister you don't have any authority you may have had before. So you better start showing some respect otherwise you just might end up on the execution block. Do we understand each other?" Syura only continued glaring and let out a soft growl. "I'll take it as a yes."

Dorothea then walked up to Loten with her fingers on her chin. "Quite a peculiar power you have there," she said making Loten look at her. "Never heard of an Imperial Arm capable of doing such things."

Loten chuckled. "Oh, my dear, that isn't an Imperial Arm. It's a special ability of mine," he told her before looking over the others. "And just who might all of you be, if you pardon my curiosity?"

"Why, we are a team that was gathered by Syura here, a special team of Imperial Arm users," she explained before pointing at Enshin. "Well, except for Izou over there. He prefers to use his katana."

"Heh, my sword is the only weapon I need," Izou said. "Besides, if I don't use it, who will feed it blood?"

The clown then came to Loten and shook his hand. "My name is Champ. It's very nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Loten said.

Dorothea's eyes then slightly squinted before she leaned to whisper something in Loten's ear. The moment she finished, Loten's eyes widened before he quickly retracted his hand. "Right then. The rest of you?"

The only other girl came up and grabbed his hand as well. "My name is Cosmina, very nice to meet you, handsome!" she said in a cheerful but flirty tone. "I hope we will get _very _well acquitted."

Loten then turned back to Dorothea with a look that asked if she had similar _habits_ that Champ had, which she picked upon and shook her head.

"And you?" Loten asked the last one.

"Enshin," he simply said, but his tongue quickly found itself out of his mouth.

Picking up on potential trouble she quickly explained to Loten. "Don't be offended, it's just his annoying habit."

"Well, I am Loten Kallig, the current Prime Minister of the Empire." Loten then once again glanced at Syura. "Why can't you be more like your team? They show proper respect," he said before glancing at Enshin who still had his tongue out. "Well, some more than others." Once again, Syura growled. "And if I may ask, what is your purpose here? General Esdeath already has her Jaegers here."

"We are here to serve as a secret Police force in the city," Syura answered, but his expression barely changed. "The Jaegers weren't effective at getting Night Raid so we should pick up the slack. I was hoping to get my father's approval for that."

"Well, I'm sorry to say but we don't really need you scouting for Night Raid, they already with the Revolutionary Army, and they are sure to attack us in the near future. Though, I suppose having an extra fighting force for when they eventually come would be useful, especially since Esdeath's troops defected," he said. "Until then we'll keep you lot in reserve. Sound fair?" Syura was about to say something but Loten just continued. "Good. And you can leave a report on what Imperial Arms you have on the Prime Minister's table. I have other errands to attend to. And I'll have one of my apprentices fill you in on the details."

He then began walking out but stopped himself midway. "Oh, and please, don't cause any problems. I already have enough headaches with all that happened in the Empire." And with that, he left the room.

"I like him," Cosmina said.

"Him and how many others," Dorothea said causing Cosmina to puff her cheeks in a pout.

Syura only glared at the spot where Loten left. His plans now pretty much went down the drain. He was hoping to finally prove to his father that he was capable after what he accomplished, and get his guard down until he eventually killed the fat bastard, but to find out that he is dead after so many years of secretly running the Empire was troubling, to say the least. He needed a way to get rid of this man.

* * *

The moment Loten got out of the throneroom he was met by someone else, a towering visage of a man with blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed full grey plated armor with his shoulder guards almost three times as large as regular, golden gauntlets and a red cloak on his back.

"Ah, grand general Budo," Loten greeted. "Is there something you need of me?"

"I wanted to see if Syura really has returned," the man said in his deep voice. "It seems that you handled him."

"Why yes, I have," Loten said. "He could use some work on his manners."

"If only just that," Budo said in a neutral tone but Loten could see that Syura upset him. "A man like him is filth upon the honor of the Thousand Year Empire. And corruption should be purged from it, permanently."

"That it should, my dear general," Loten said. "And I know that you don't trust me, a completely understandable position. I mean, I did practically usurp Honest in his position."

Budo only gave a low 'hmm' in response.

"I assure you that whatever my interests are will serve this Empire in the end. The Revolutionary Army will be dealt with and we will end up prospering, we'll be even greater than what the Empire was a thousand years ago."

"Excuse me if I don't just take some honeyed words at face value, _Prime Minister_, so my words still stand," Budo said.

"As they should, grand general," Loten said. "Now if you excuse me, I have to get some hand sanitizer."

* * *

Esdeath was walking towards the regular meeting spot where she and the Jaegers talked. She was once again dressed in her general garb, and her wounds have healed up though she could still feel a bit sore.

She was also in a sour mood for some time before. She found out that her troops, her own personal army had defected from the Empire and now is more than likely going to join the Revolutionary Army. To say that Esdeath was shocked would be an understatement.

Her soldiers held great respect for her, they practically treated her like a goddess. And how they were against her? She was a symbol of power they followed, but now that Danek defeated her, he is the symbol they follow. As if her brother didn't damage her pride enough, now she had this to suffer.

She then stopped in front of a single door as she heard some sobbing coming from it. She realized that she was in front of a room that was assigned to Seryu, and realized that she was still inside and crying.

She opened the door to see Seryu lying on her bed, her back to Esdeath. She was in a position where her legs were scrunched to her chest and her hands covered her face, with her ponytail also undone.

Knowing what to do, she walked inside and went to give her subordinate a hug. Seryu was in a similar position before, only that time it was because Night Raid killed Dr. Stylish, her friend. Now she seemed worse.

"Seryu, are you alright?" Esdeath asked in a soft tone.

"G-g-general?" Seryu asked she looked her superior with eyes red from tears. "I'm so sorry, general Esdeath. I'm a failure!" After she said that, Seryu went back to sobbing.

"Shh, no need to think like that. It's not as bad as it seems," Esdeath tried to comfort her, but it didn't seem to have any effect.

"No, it is. I lost Koro, my Imperial Arm, and my friend. And I couldn't contribute anything to the fight." Seryu then once again turned to Esdeath with her bloodshot eyes. "I'm a failure as a soldier, as a crusader for justice. If my father was still alive he would be disgusted with me."

Esdeath's eyes widened at that, the words hitting her more than Seryu realized as Esdeath could also see her own father telling her a similar thing.

"No, no, don't say that," she said those comforting words, which she wouldn't admit were also for herself as well as Seryu. "We lost the battle, which is very true. But we are strong, we are the survivors. We can get better and strike back at our enemies. If we let our losses get the best of us then we failed. But if get ready, we can still fight back, and we can win." Esdeath then moved some locks away from Seryu's face and rubbed her cheek. "Tell me, are you giving up?"

Seryu then quickly wiped her tears away, a look of determination back on her face. "No, general. Not yet. I'll fight back, I'll get my revenge against Night Raid and against your brother. Even if it kills me, Justice will prevail!"

That brought a smile to the blue-haired general's face. "That's the Seryu that I know," she said before extending her hand. "Now come with me. We need to meet with the others."

At the meeting room, Wave, Kurome and Bols sat at a square table. Wave just had his arms resting on the table while Kurome was holding her sheathed sword close to her chest, as if still afraid of losing it. Bols leaned back with his arms crossed, and while the mask obscured his face Wave could see that he was deep in thought.

He then turned back to Kurome who had a distant look in her eyes. He nudged her on the shoulder. "Hey, Kurome, is everything alright?"

"I almost lost it," she muttered just loud enough for Wave to hear. "I almost lost the chance to be with my big sister again. I thought that that could have been it. I don't want it to happen."

Wave felt pity for her. She thought that she could only be with Akame again if she killed her and used Yatsufusa to bring her back as a puppet. It's not something Wave thought would be the same as actually being with the person, but he needed to comfort her.

He gave Kurome a slight squeeze on her shoulder which made her look at his smiling face. "You will be with your sister, Kurome. _I _promise you that. With or without your sword, I promise you two will be together again."

Despite not completely believing his words, Kurome smiled back at him, appreciating the thought.

"Hey, Bols," Kurome began. "How are Kije and Logue?"

The large man perked up at the mention of his wife and daughter. "Oh, they are fine. They were on the other side of the Capital when the invasion happened so they aren't hurt."

Kurome then smiled, happy to see that someone's family was still safe. "That's great to hear. Will they be coming soon?"

Bols sighed. "No. I asked lord Loten if they could but he said that it's better that they stay there until the threat of the Revolutionary Army has passed. Only then will they be able to come."

"Well, that's unfortunate. Logue could really light up the place with her smile," Wave commented.

Bols let out a laugh. "That she would."

Wave then looked around, and only now felt how lonely it seemed with only three of them here. And they were in even fewer numbers since Run decided to stay and hold Danek off so they could escape. Wave still found it weird to ride inside a spaceship.

Then the door of the room opened to reveal Seryu and Esdeath entering. The two of them took their seats with Esdeath at the head of the table. "Alright, Jaegers. It's time to discuss a plan."

* * *

Loten currently looked up at a giant structure in front of him. Humanoid in appearance, made out of various metals, while also adorned with a giant cape that gave it royal presence.

Right now, Loten, along with Emperor Makoto was located deep underground within the Royal Palace, a place where the greatest weapon of the Thousand Year Empire was stored. The greatest of the Imperial Arms, the giant armor Shikoutazer.

The two were currently standing on a bridge that connected the entrance with the armor at about the middle of its frame. Loten smiled as he gazed upon the giant suit of armor, one with enough size to tower even above the palace. He could feel the large concentration of power stored within it and could see why this was considered the Ultimate Imperial Arm.

And it was perfect for what he had planned.

"Are you sure this is wise, lord Kallig?" Makoto asked as he looked at Loten.

"It is, Your Highness. In fact, this Imperial Arm will be the key to our victory over the Revolutionary Army," Loten answered with a smile, though the Revolutionary Army wasn't the primary object of his plans for this weapon.

* * *

**AN: And that is it for now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We saw the Wild Hunt finally arrive, and we see that Loten has a plan on how to deal with Danek. What is it? You'll have to wait to find out.**

**And remember to check out my other stories, they will be worth it. And leave a review, they are great motivators.**

**See you next time!**


	15. 14 Save Your Feelings

A Look to the Past

**AN: Well, here it is. The next chapter. I was in a very Star Wars mood recently and I just had to write the next one. I just wish that the actual Star Wars was ina better state than it is now. Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Now to reviews.**

**keybladelight: We'll see what the future holds.**

**brave kid: Thank you.**

**Pyromania101: Yeah, that's probably true. The issue is addressed in this chapter.**

**Lonewanderer: Those are some good suggestions you have, but I cannot say that I will go through with them**

**Guest(1): Well, I'm not sure if it'll come to talking about it but I'll see.**

**A Star Wars Fan: That's actually pretty good. And the speech you wrote is as well. However, I don't see Danek having that opinion about the Jedi. He is more of a Jedi at heart and he wouldn't hold that belief as Kreia.**

**Guest(2): Well, since you asked I think that creatures like the Storm Beasts or Terentateks would be a match form pretty much any Danger Beast on the planet.**

**Loten would around the level of people like Obi-Wan Kenobi, while Danek would be in a similar class like Palpatine, Kyp Durron, and Grandmaster Luke Skywalker.**

**As for what will happen in the future, you'll just have to wait and see.**

* * *

14 Save Your Feelings

Within the meeting room of the Revolutionary Army HQ, Danek, this time dressed is in simple robes, was participating in the meeting that was held with the commanders of the rebellion. Since his proclamation that he would join them and his achievements had guaranteed him a spot there.

Right now, they were talking about their current situation and how exactly should they proceed in the foreseeable future.

"I must admit, our situation is better than I thought," Lorag said as he put his hands over the table. He moved several wooden pieces on the map that represented his troops. "As you see, despite being at only half strength we once were." He moved several pieces from the northern side of the map. "The army that commander Partas had acquired from Esdeath has now almost replenished our losses from the previous battle." Then he moved a few more pieces from around the map. "We also gained support from the neighboring countries in our battle, which now gives us more troops than we had before."

The people inside couldn't help but smile at that. They really came from a hopeless situation to an advantageous one in a short amount of time. Even the people who were skeptical before were now more convinced in their victory.

Still, there were several lingering questions.

"Are we sure this is a good idea? Bringing Esdeath's soldiers into this?" a female commander asked. "You do realize the terrible atrocities they committed during their servitude to her? They killed and raped entire villages for goodness' sake!"

"I understand what you mean, and yes, their actions were vile," Lorag said. "But beggars can't be choosers, and we need as much help as we can get. The enemy still has more Imperial Arm users than we do, and the two of the most powerful ones, and that is if we don't include the Emperor's Imperial Arm. We need those numbers."

"But we have him here," she said while pointing at Danek. "Doesn't he more than make up for that?"

"While that would normally be the case, I'm afraid the situation is different," Danek began. "They have three Sith on their side, and while not as powerful as I am they would still be able to hold me off for too long." The woman just sighed at that. "Look, if Esdeath's army makes any wrong move they will be dealt with appropriately."

"Still, there is one less concern we have," commander Marco said. "We don't need to assassinate Honest anymore."

That one was one of the most shocking things they heard when the news reached them. They spent so much time in trying to assassinate the Prime Minister, the man who was behind the Empire's such vast corruption. And when they heard that he was executed for treason their reactions were almost comical.

But Danek knew there was more to it, and he just knew that Loten Kalling was behind it all. With a heavy heart, he explained that killing the Prime Minister only replaces one evil man with another, and this one has the physical power to back him up. But another thing that Danek knew was the fact that Loten would come and face him in battle since he was the only one who had any chance in a straight-up fight.

"Still, there is one thing that we're all wondering," another commander asked. "How shall we deal with Esdeath after all this?"

The response came very quickly. "You won't."

Now everyone turned to Danek the moment he said it. "I can tell what you're all thinking. This debate for you is pointless since you all are planning to have her killed," he said. "Once this is over, I'll take Esdeath with me. And she will be out of your lives."

To say that people there didn't agree would be an understatement.

"Are you insane?!" Marco asked. "Do you have any idea what she's done?!"

"Yes, I'm well aware. And yes, what she's done is horrible. But she isn't beyond redemption, nobody is."

Before he could continue, the female commander from before voice her thoughts. "Redemption?! You want to redeem her?! Do you have any idea who you're talking about?!"

Danek let out an audible sigh of annoyance. "Yes, yes I know! You don't have to repeat the same point," he said. "Listen, the reason I'm even here in the first place is that I came for her. I came to help her, to move her away from the dark path she walks. Don't think I'm going to abandon my primary reason for being here."

Najenda then looked at him with pity, seeing the emotions in his face made her understand his point.

While most people in the room were angry, furious, annoyed, or some combination of it, Lorag kept a cool head and spoke before anyone could. "Listen to me, I know that she is your sister, but you shouldn't let personal matters-"

"No, you listen!" Danek exclaimed this time his eyes narrowed, his face showing actual anger. "I promised that I would help you, and I _will_. But NOT at the cost of my SISTER!"

The anger he was letting out made him unconsciously use the Force. His cloak and hair began to float, the room they were inside was shaking as cracks began to appear beneath his feet. Everyone in the room began sweating and looking around nervously, feeling Danek's anger as well as the effects he had on the space around them.

Danek's eyes widened as he realized what was going on, and his channeling of the Force came to a sudden stop as everything returned to normal, though the cracks still stayed. Now every eye was on his again, but this time more fearful.

"I… I…" he stammered as he was also shocked by what happened. "I… I'm so sorry about this." He then turned away from them. "If you'll excuse me, I have to calm myself down." And walked out of the meeting room, leaving it there in awkward silence.

"Well, that was something," Marco said before turning back to the table. "Anyway, we should discuss recruits for the Imperial Arms in our possession that aren't used."

The others got over their shock and began addressing the matter, except for Najenda who still looked at the direction he left.

* * *

Danek was sitting on the floor of his room cross-legged, his hands resting on his legs with the fingers connected. The room he had was a simple one, a bed, drawer, and closet. He didn't mind it.

Right now he was once again immersing himself with the living Force, letting his mind flow through its currents and calming him down. He honestly couldn't believe how he lashed out at them. He was calmer than this, at least that's what he thought. It appears he underestimated just how much this meant to him.

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace," he chanted the line from the Jedi Code. While he didn't take the line as extremely as some other Jedi did, it was still meaningful. Controlling your emotions did make someone calmer.

"Are you alright?" came the voice Najenda, snapping him out of his meditation.

He opened his eyes and saw Najenda standing in front of the door. "You know, it's polite for people to knock on the door before entering."

She chuckled at that. "Well, your door was actually open. I couldn't help myself." She then walked over and sat on the bed, with Danek joining her. "Tell me, are you really determined to make Esdeath change her ways?"

"I am. I won't lose her like I did last time," Danek answered.

"Do you have any idea how hard that will be?"

"Very. I'm not blind to that. But I'm still more than willing to give it my best. I know I can get to her if I try."

Najenda gave him a smile and put a hand on his shoulder. "You have quite a determination. That's pretty admirable."

Danek smiled back at her. "Thank you."

"I'm not sure if I completely agree with the notion, but I hope you succeed," she said. "Esdeath was my friend once as well when we both served the Empire. I lost all hope that I would get it back."

"Najenda, I promise you. I'll bring Esdeath to the light, I'll make sure that you two become friends once more."

Najenda smiled amusingly. "You know, I don't think even Tatsumi was that positive when he joined us."

"Positivity is usually equated with naiveté, as people tend to think more negatively. But there is nothing wrong with looking for the good in this world."

"After you've seen what I have, it's hard to think positive."

"I've seen plenty, I promise you that," he said. "When you come to a larger galaxy, anything done here would seem like child's play. The wars are far bigger, the casualties greater. And you won't believe some of the weapons built. I've been to a planet named Taris, where a Sith three centuries ago used a special weapon to raise the entire surface of the planet, killing almost everyone on it."

Najenda's eyes widened at what he said. Someone killed an entire population of the planet? That made what Esdeath's deeds look tame in comparison.

"That's… I don't know what to say."

"Trust me, I didn't know either," Danek said. "But still, even through all that, I saw the good the people can do, how they can change for the better. It's for that reason why I'm so determined, and why I will save Esdeath."

"Hm, you're quite something, I have to admit," Najenda said. "But I suppose hearing someone not losing hope is refreshing. I usually hear those stories and see people hardened to the point of almost constant bitterness."

"Yes, our negative emotions can get the best of us."

"Speaking of which," she began. "What were you chanting just now?"

"That was a line from the Jedi Code, one of the first things we learn when training and something the Jedi base their lives upon."

"Interesting. May I ask how it goes or is it some sort of secret?"

"Oh, no, it isn't a secret. It goes like this: There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force."

Najenda gained an intrigued look when he finished reciting it. "That's quite poetic if nothing else. But it seems a bit… restrictive."

"I know it does. It did seem like that to me," Danek said. "But it does have merit. It teaches us not to have our emotions ruling us. The peace of mind is an important thing for a Jedi otherwise he is going to risk turning to the Dark Side."

"Just from feeling too much emotion? That sounds unlikely."

"Yes, it may seem like it. But to those people who are deeply connected to the Force, the corruption of evil is greater. If we go too much on the other side it's hard to come back. Which is why the Jedi don't encourage forming emotional attachments with other people."

"No attachments? None at all?" she asked. "A familial one? A… romantic one?"

Danek caught the sad undertone in her voice and answered. "No, which is why Jedi don't get married, though, there are some exceptions."

"And what of you? What do you think about that?"

"I…" he found himself struggling to answer. "Well, I honestly don't agree wholeheartedly. I think that while having an attachment can help lead you towards the Dark Side, I think that they also make you stronger, harden your resolve."

"I see. But I suppose you wouldn't want to be celibate your whole life."

"It's not exactly celibacy. It's just that… the emotional attachment is the thing that is forbidden, not the… physical act."

When she heard that she decided to go into a teasing mode. She gave him a sly smirk before slightly leaning towards him. "Oh really? And have you performed the _physical act_?"

That got Danek blushing as the question was quite forward. "Um, well… Yes, I have," he answered, deciding to be honest. "The conflicts I had were quite a bit, shall we say, _tiring_ so I had to unwind here and there."

"Ah, so you didn't have any meaningful relationship, just flings."

That got Danek quiet for a moment. "Actually, no," he said getting her attention. "I did have one meaningful relationship. At least, that's what I like to think. You see, I didn't agree with Jedi teachings of attachments, so I eventually formed one."

With the way he spoke, it was easy for Najenda to pick up that it didn't end well. Her curiosity got the better of her so she ended up asking. "Could you tell me what happened?"

He looked into her eye for a few moments before giving a nod. "Very well."

* * *

_It was some time after Danek arrived at Tython, the homeworld of the Jedi. Here he began his training as Jedi Knight and his performance was quite good. After going through several instructors and teachers, Tython was the place where he would finally be truly tested._

_But, his tests ended up being something different than usual. The Flesh Raiders, vaguely humanoid, savage creatures, were attacking the training grounds and dealt great casualties. Danek was tasked in helping the others fend off the Flesh Raiders, being one of the most combat-capable students he was more than willing and considering his past with fighting Danger Beasts._

_Through the conflict with the Flesh Raiders many things have happened. Orgus Din took him as a padawan, he got another companion in a form of an astromech droid Teeseven, learned that Bengel Morr, a former padawan of Master Orgus was the one behind the Flesh Raider attack and who was teaching them to use weapons and the Force._

_But one of the most impactful thing was when Danek arrived at the Twi'lek settlement. He ended up helping them fight against the Flesh Raiders and even supplied them with weapons to fight back. After many deeds he did for them he got particularly close to the recently appointed matriarch, Ranna Tao'Ven._

_Danek entered the matriarch's home after finishing with yet another fight. He was dressed in his simple apprentice clothes, but he added some padded armoring for protection, his training saber still the weapon he used._

_He looked at Ranna, who was pacing around the room as if nervously waiting for any news from him. She was a beautiful Twi'lek woman with green skin and brown eyes, dressed in a dark-green shirt, pants, and brown boots._

_"__Matriarch," Danek called out which made her turn to him. "I've destroyed the machines poisoning your crops. Though, they did come with some company."_

_"__I saw how you suffered out," she said. "What you did was more than brave, it was… heroic."_

_"__I'm just doing my duty. You are in trouble, I come to help."_

_"__I wish all of the Jedi thought like that, maybe we wouldn't have been attacked the way we were," she said before approaching him. "Still, since you came here, all you've done is risk your life to save us, the people you barely know."_

_"__As I said, it's my duty," Danek said before approaching her and lifting her chin. "Besides, you're worth the risk."_

_That caused her to blush at being compliment by someone as handsome as he was. "Oh, I… that's… very flattering of you to say. But, isn't putting your emotions forefront against the Jedi way?"_

_"__I try to be more open-minded when it comes to these things," he answered with a smile, which made Ranna smile back._

_"__I'm happy you said that," she said._

_He then leaned down gave her a kiss on the lips, one which she was more than happy to return. Right now, the Jedi teachings were purged from his mind for a bit as he gave in to his desires for this woman. _

_They kissed for a few more moments before separating._

_"__I'll make sure no one disturbs us…"_

_They went to Ranna's room where they had their time alone. And after they finished they began dressing._

_"__If we stay much longer, my people will wonder," she said as she finished dressing. "And I don't want you to get in trouble with your Master."_

_"__It's alright, Ranna. There won't be any trouble I assure you," he said as he put the glove back on his prosthetic._

_"__Here," she said as she gave him a pendant. "This is something for when we're apart."_

_Danek smiled as he looked at the pendant in his hand. "Thank you."_

_After that, things between the two grew even as Danek went on missions. However, during one particular mission, Master Orgus contacted him, telling him that he gained a distress call from the settlement, which immediately got Danek worried._

_His Master told him to meet him at the matriarch's house which he was more than willing to agree. He quickly went back to the settlement and entered the house but he only saw Ranna and Teeseven next to a table._

_"__Ranna, what's going on," Danek said as he approached her. "Master Orgus responded to your distress call. I was to meet him here. What's happened?"_

_She looked at him confused. "Nothing. We didn't send any distress call. Things have been quiet since you left. I haven't seen or spoken to Master Orgus."_

_Teeseven then began beeping in binary. "T7 = scanning area / Stand by…" After a moment, the droid continued. "Confirmed / Master Orgus = not in settlement + not answering holocom"_

_That got Danek worried, wondering what happened to his Master. "Someone sent him a distress call from here. Who was it?"_

_Ranna approached him. "I'm sure it's a misunderstanding. Your Master will turn up." She then put a hand on his chest. "Please, stay here a while. I feel safer when you're close."_

_Before Danek could say anything he felt a sharp pain from his side, causing him to shut his eyes and grit his teeth as he groaned. His hand went to his side and he quickly pulled out what pierced him. It was metal dart._

_His vision became blurry, his muscles were losing their strength and his breathing became rugged. His legs couldn't support his weight anymore and he collapsed on the metallic floor._

_Then a blue-skinned Twi'lek walked over him and shot Teeseven, making sparks come from the droid's small body before the light on his eye turned off._

_Thankfully for Danek, whatever poison that was in the dart couldn't knock him out with how much his body was resistant. He watched through his blurry vision and saw a yellow-skinned Twi'lek which he recognized as Scout Chief Moorint about to shoot him._

_Ranna then stepped in front of the attackers. "Stop it! What are you doing?"_

_"__Matriarch, step aside," Moorint demanded. "Handing over the boy's Master wasn't enough. This Padawan has to die."_

_"__I told you to leave him alone! That was the pact!"_

_A pact? What was she talking about, Danek thought as his vision became clear and he slowly began rising up. He recognized the other two with Moorint. The blue-skinned one was Saylew, and the red-skinned woman was called Eseni. _

_"__Bengel Morr refused your terms. This is to save our people!" Moorint continued._

_Danek couldn't believe what was being said. Ranna made a pact with Bengel Morr._

_"__You betrayed me, Ranna," Danek said as he stood on shaky legs. He looked at the matriarch with a look of betrayal. "You lied to my face. You gave my Master to Morr. How could you do that?"_

_"__Your Jedi can't win," she said, not denying what she did. "They're all going to die, but I can save you."_

_"__Bengel Morr came to me," Moornit said. "Said he'd end the Flesh Raider attacks if we gave him your Master."_

_"__He asked us to kill you too, but I said 'no.' I told him that we'd keep you here," Ranna said before turning back to her Scout Chief. "Please, Moorint. You can't hurt him."_

_"__If we don't do what we're told, Bengel Morr will kill us all."_

_"__You were fools to believe him," Danek retorted. "Bengel Morr will end up killing you anyway."_

_"__Please, don't resist. It will only make things more difficult," Moorint said before putting up his blaster._

_He shot at Danek who avoided it before taking out his training saber and activating it. He was still somewhat disoriented so he had to try harder not to slip up. Before Moorint could fire another shot Danek dashed at him, slashing the Scout Chief across the chest and killing him._

_He Force Pushed Eseni away before avoiding a shot from Saylew. Danek then slashed at the blaster in his hand, destroying the weapon before striking at Saylew's neck._

_Eseni then began shooting at him as well, which forced Danek to block the shots with his training saber but his fingers were still affected by the poison and the grip on the hilt was loose, causing his saber to fly from his hands with another shot. When the Twi'lek woman shot at him again, Danek put all his concentration on the Force and put his hand in front of the blaster shot. The laser then bounced off his hand and was deflected right back at the Eseni hitting her in the head._

_Danek began panting, beads of sweat running down his forehead as he looked at the three dead Twi'leks on the floor. The poison was wearing off but he could still feel its effects._

_He turned back at Ranna who looked horrified at what happened._

_"__This… this wasn't supposed to happen," she said in a sad tone. "I was going to save you. Save us all."_

_"__And what of my Master, what of the other Jedi?" Danek asked. "After what you did, how many will Bengel Morr end up killing?"_

_"__I know, it was stupid," she said. "Please, let me make this right. Bengel Morr to Orgus to someplace called the Forge. Reactivate your droid, it might know where to find them." She gazed at Danek's eyes with a pleading look. "It was never in my heart to betray you. Forgive me, please."_

_Danek shut his eyes, tears threatening to come out. The emotions he felt for this woman only made things harder. He thought that the Jedi were only paranoid when it came to emotions but now he saw some merit to it._

_He could have handled it better, he could have easily used the Force to change the minds of these Twi'leks but he ended up killing them instead. He was too angry at the betrayal to think straight and look at what happened because of it._

_Still, that fault was his and his alone. He couldn't blame them or Ranna for wanting to defend themselves from a madman._

_"__I forgive you, Ranna," he said, before reaching into his pocket and taking out the locket. "But this can't go on. I can't be with you." He extended his hand, and she reluctantly took it._

_"__I understand," she said before retreating to her room. "Again, I'm so sorry." The tone of her voice showed that she was about to cry, but she was out of sight before he could actually see her._

_Danek then felt something wet rolling down his cheek, only now feeling the tear. He quickly wiped it off, and stretched, feeling poison's effects almost gone. He then leaned down and went to activating Teeseven. He had to save his Master, and quickly._

* * *

As he finished his tale, Najenda looked at him sorrowfully. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"I came to terms with what happened some time ago, there is no point lingering on it too long," Danek said. "What happened, happened, and I decided to learn from the experience instead of constantly thinking about it."

"Did you… ever talk with Ranna again?" Najenda asked.

Danek shook his head. "No. I never heard from her since," he said. "And after that, I wasn't really looking forward to having another relationship. Now I know, that may seem like stupid reasoning, and it probably is but I hoped that one day I would get over that. I tried but it's a slow process." He wasn't lying. There was also a thing between him and his Padawan Kira Carsen, but he didn't take that too far.

Danek chuckled. "Well, I guess I failed you. Now I also told you a story that had me emotionally scarred."

Najenda then put a hand on his prosthetic one, making the tall Jedi look at her. "I understand you completely," she said. "I also avoided any relationships during this rebellion. I already lost so much that I didn't want to feel that pain again."

Danek realized something. "You lost someone, didn't you?"

"I have," she said in a low tone as her mind went back to Rokugou, a man who she met when she was still with the Empire. He would sometime invite her to dinner and they gladly hung out, but she learned recently that he was killed after trying to defect from the Empire.

"Then… why are you willing to get so close to me?" Danek asked.

Najenda's grip on his fake arm tightened, but not because of anger, frustration, or anything like that. "Because… you're someone I can understand, and someone who can understand me. We both lived through hell, we were both scarred, physically, and emotionally. But you wouldn't give up on gaining back your family, you recognize your mistakes and move on." Her eye then gazed on his face. "And I know you'll get out of this alive."

"Najenda, I-" she put a metal finger on his lips. Najenda then leaned toward him, her lips puckered for a kiss. But she was stopped as she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"I… I'm sorry, Danek," she apologized and looked to the side in shame. "I guess I got carried away."

She was about to sit back to her previous position but his hand was still on her shoulder, gripping it. She was confused at first, but she saw the conflicted look on Danek's face.

After a few moments, Danek closed his eyes and shook his head. He then also began leaning downward, which Najenda quickly responded to. The distance was closed and their lips met. After a few moments, they departed.

"Najenda, I wish I could promise you anything about this," he said.

"You don't have to," she simply said. "We'll see how things go from here."

Danek smiled in understanding, thinking that was the best considering the situation.

"Well, we shouldn't linger here too long," Danek said before rising up. "I'm going to train your team. They'll need it for when we once again face the Sith."

"That would be the best," she said before also standing up. The two of them then departed from Danek's room to get ready for the challenges ahead, and not just concerning the war.

* * *

**AN: Well, that's it for now. We saw some more of Danek's past in this chapter, and it mostly served as character development. I hope I ended up pleasing.**

**And remember to check out my other stories, I promise they are worth your time. And don't forget to leave a review. They are great motivators.**

**See you later! And stay healthy!**


	16. 15 Save the Preparations

A Look to the Past

**AN: Hello there, dear readers. Here's another chapter of A Look to the Past. It took a while but I got around to finishing it and I hope I don't end up disappointing you.**

**Now to reviews.**

**Guest: Yeah, I also felt bad when she died.**

**As for how Danek will show his power, I do have plans on how to do that and I'm sure it's something you won't expect but enjoy nonetheless.**

**keybladelight: Good thing Luke Skywalker changed that with his New Jedi Order. At least in Legends canon.**

**A Star Wars Fan: The way I see it, Najenda is underutilized when it comes to pairings so I thought that I might involve her.**

**Yeah, I agree that the Jedi Code can be sometimes too strict about certain things. It had the best intentions but still, it's a bit too harsh. I think the way Luke Skywalker's approach to the Jedi Order in Legends is the best way it could be established.**

**Dracus6: We'll see.**

**LoneWanderer: Loten isn't the Emperor's Wrath, but he will appear. Just not in this story.**

**I honestly don't see Loten doing that, mostly because he wouldn't really care or because he just doesn't have time to do so.**

**Guest(2): Well, I can't promise how things will go so you'll have to bear with me until it comes to that.**

**As for where the planet is located, I think the best location for it is to be close to the Unkown Regions northwest of Coruscant.**

**LordMalekTheWise: Well, the Danger Beasts aren't as powerful as usual Sith creations are, though obviously the likes of Tyrant and others on his level are exceptions. **

**As for your questions on how the lore of AGK will fit with Star Wars, I'll save it for later chapters.**

**Guest(3): You'll have to wait and see.**

**TheUnusualGuest: Thank you. And don't worry, there is no way I'm abandoning this story. I'll see through to the very end.**

**Guest(4): Well, wait no more.**

* * *

15 Save the Preparations

Tatsumi charged at Danek with a mighty yell, his Incursio armor fully equipped and his spear ready. Danek, now out of his armor and wearing a simple beige shirt and brown pants, deflected his attack with a staff he was holding in a position similar to a saberstaff.

Tatsumi went for a swipe which was deflected by Danek who used the momentum to make a quick spin and hit Tatsumi's side with the tip of his wooden staff making the young man grunt in pain.

"And you're done," Danek said before returning to a normal posture.

"No, again!" Tatsumi said before once again attacking Danek.

At the sidelines, Chelsea, Akame, Mine, and Susanoo were watching.

Chelsea sighed. "How long have they been doing this?"

"An hour and ten minutes," Susanoo said, his arms crossed and his usual neutral expression on his face.

Once Danek offered to train them to go up against the Sith, Tatsumi jumped at the opportunity immediately and offered to be the first to be trained. Danek then proposed to train him on how to fight against Xalek so he took a wooden staff to stimulate a saberstaff.

They were currently located outside of HQ within an open field. It was afternoon and the weather was pretty decent, not too cold or too hot so the conditions made it comfortable for training.

A swipe at the legs made Tatsumi fall on the dusty ground again with a grunt.

Danek leaned down and offered his robotic hand for help which Tatsumi took.

"Tatsumi, you need to focus when you fight," Danek said. "As I said before, you can't let your emotions rule your actions. Attacking the Sith while screaming your lungs out won't cut it."

"Then I'll just have to get stronger. I need to avenge Lubbock and get Leone back!"

"Not like that you won't," Danek said. "You need to calm yourself, clear your mind of distractions. Your anger may be useful in catching people off guard, but with the Sith that won't be the case. Despite the evolutionary prowess of Incursio it won't save you from being cut to pieces." He then put a hand on Tatsumi's shoulder. "And you can't let vengeance cloud your judgment, it will only lead you astray."

Tatsumi groaned. "Look, I'm an assassin; I hardly think that 'no revenge' speech is worth all that much."

"Tatsumi, it's not that simple," Danek said. "If you think that being an assassin gives you a pass, then you're wrong. You're still a person with consciousness, and embracing negative emotions is very risky, especially with someone with the power you possess."

Those words had more meaning than usual. The weapons they carried, the Imperial Arms were weapons made of Danger Beasts which in turn makes them weapons made from the Dark Side of the Force. He would normally be against using them, but in these circumstances the weapons were invaluable. And he knew that once the Republic gets to this planet they'll have those weapons destroyed.

Tatsumi with Incursio uses his anger when he attacks, and anger makes the suit of armor stronger, which made sense since the Dark Side is usually fueled by negative emotions. But the power granted doesn't increase his skill in any way, only makes him more powerful. The rage also decreases his fighting efficiency since he is reduced to a more primal state of the Danger Beast, Tyrant which the weapon was made of.

"And while extra power is useful, you need to implement more strategic thinking," Danek said as he raised his staff, and Tatsumi went for another attack with his spear. Tatsumi made a blur of swiping motions and thrusting, all of which were easily avoided by Danek. "You need to think, search for opportunities," Danek said as he sidestepped another thrust before striking at the joints on Tatsumi's wrists, making the young man groan in pain and drop his spear. "Disarm your enemy." Danek struck him behind the knees where there was less armor which caused Tatsumi to forcefully kneel. "Strike at his weak spots." The tip of the staff found its way to Tatsumi's neck making him fall backward on his back, and Danek put the staff on the chest armor. "And you'll have your enemy at your mercy."

This way of fighting was taught to Danek while he was still with his clan, which came in handy when they were on Danger Beast hunts. Still, that way of fighting is very useful against other people as well.

Danek removed the staff and leaned down while offering his hand, which Tatsumi accepted and sat up before rubbing his throat, his Incursio armor disappearing into his sword.

"Man, this doesn't feel like I'm going anywhere," Tatsumi complained.

"Progress happens with time, and we only trained for an hour," Danek said. "There is still time for improvement, don't worry."

With a sigh, Tatsumi gave a nod and sheathed his sword. He retreated to where the others stood as his turn was finished.

"Alright, who's next?" Danek asked and Akame approached him. "So you want to train?"

"Actually, I was wondering about a couple of things, if you wouldn't mind," she said which got her a nod from Danek. "The staff, it should have snapped from the strain a while ago with how many powerful blows it took from Tatsumi. Are you using something which prevents it from snapping?"

Danek smiled at her. "Ah, well you see, while I was studying during my training to become a Jedi, I read on a Jedi master that lived several centuries ago. He was called Vodo-Siosk Baas, and unlike many Jedi, he used a wooden staff as his weapon," he explained which not only got Akame's curiosity but of the others as well. "He was able to use the Force to enhance his staff, making able to deal a lot more damage and durable enough to take hits from a lightsaber. I studied the technique and learned how to use it."

"That's… fascinating," Akame said as she eyed the staff. "Is the Force really that capable?"

"Certainly. As far as we can tell there is nothing that the Force can't do, but it's the people who use it that are limited with what they can do with the Force. We still aren't sure about the limits living beings can achieve."

"Is it… possible to learn?" she asked, with her voice having a bit of hope in it which didn't go unnoticeable to Danek.

"Akame, I know what you're asking me," Danek said softly. "You want to see if you can help your sister with it."

Akame hung her head in shame due to being so easily figured out and gave him a nod.

Danek put a hand on her shoulder. "There is no need to feel ashamed. Your desire is to help your sister, and considering my situation it would be hypocritical if I tried to talk you out of it," he said. "Even still, I can't just train someone in using the Force, the Jedi Council doesn't allow for such a thing."

"Why wouldn't they?"

"It's simple. If you aren't properly trained you can succumb to its negative effects," Danek said. "The Council usually takes young children so their minds can be properly trained."

The moment he said that Akame's eyes widened. She had experiences with such things, children being taken so they could be properly trained as weapons, Kurome and her being great examples.

"They… take children?" Akame asked, her tone sour.

Danek sighed, expecting such a reaction. "I know how this seems, but you have to understand. Training from a young age to control your emotions is a more ensuring way that they don't fall to the Dark Side. An adult would be a lot more susceptible to the temptations."

Mine decided to chime in. "And what about you? Weren't you a teenager when you began training?" she asked, her arms crossed.

"I was an exception. My master convinced them that I have way too much attention for it to be ignored so they ended up accepting me for training," Danek explained.

"Still, I can't say I agree with taking children to be soldiers," Akame said.

"We aren't soldiers, we are protectors," Danek countered. "We train to be guardians of peace and prosperity for the Republic. We only serve with the military when it's necessary, which these times unfortunately are."

"I see," Akame said, still somewhat unsure about the situation. Many could claim they are doing something for just causes only for it to be nefarious behind the scenes. Still, she at least knew that Danek could be trusted. "But wouldn't your words hold some weight, wouldn't you be able to make an exception in this case?"

"I'm sorry to say Akame, but your situation is quite peculiar. Having me train an assassin who uses weapons that channel the Dark Side wouldn't sit well with the Jedi Council. While exceptions can be made, I don't think they would approve of you. Even if I did, healing arts are incredibly complicated, and I'm not sure if they would work on your sister's condition." His expression then turned to a reassuring one. "But you don't have to worry, I know how much this means to you and I won't let it go without doing anything. I promise, you will be reunited with your sister and that she will be well."

Akame was silent for a few moments before managing to give him a slight smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said. "Now, is that all you wanted to ask me?"

"Actually, there is one more thing," Akame said before extending her hand. "Can you let me handle a lightsaber? I want to see how it feels."

Danek raised an eyebrow, not expecting to be asked that though he honestly shouldn't have been surprised. Many people wanted to try out a lightsaber.

"Well, normally I wouldn't just let anyone have it," Danek said before taking the hilt off his belt. "But there is no harm in it. Here you go."

Akame almost eagerly took the hilt, being curious about the weapon the moment that it was ignited. Her fingers wrapped around the metallic hilt, which of course felt different from a regular one, with it being colder at first and the circular shape.

She pressed the switch located on the side, and azure blade sprang to life, the noise making her head tilt backward. She moved some distance away so she could have more space and gave it a few practice swings.

After stopping she eyed the blade and moved it slightly to get a more personal feeling for it, and it ended up definitely feeling different from her own sword.

"See the difference?" Danek asked which made Akame turn back to him. "Unlike regular swords, the weight distribution is different. The blade itself barely has any weight behind it, which means that most of it is in the hilt. So balancing a lightsaber is trickier and needs some proper practice otherwise you'll end up slicing your own limb."

He then gestured to her to return it to which she complied by turning of the sword and throwing the hilt back. Danek strapped the lightsaber back to his belt.

"But there is one thing I can do right now," Danek said getting Akame's attention. "While I can't help her yet, I can get someone to help her later. Follow me."

He then began walking away with Akame following.

"Don't know about you guys, but I'm following," Chelsea said before walking towards them as well, with the rest of the team deciding to follow.

Soon they found themselves at Danek's ship, which was currently in the open near the HQ, as he pressed some of the buttons on the controls. The people inside were mesmerized by how advanced it looked as if just being impressive from the outside wasn't enough.

"Alright, let's see if I can get a proper signal," Danek said. After fiddling with several buttons he stopped. "And, there!"

Out of the holocommunicator came a hologram of Doc who was now dressed in a white shirt and pants, with a black jacket and boots.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Jedi?" Doc said with a smile on his face and his hands on his hips. "You know, some of us were quite nervous when you left without a word. And you know Scourge isn't the most expressive when it comes to explanations."

Danek chuckled at that. "Sorry about that, Doc. I went to my homeworld to settle a personal matter, but it turns out things got more complicated and I got dragged into a war which also include the Sith."

The others found it a bit weird to see the two talking like that as they never saw a hologram before. It's like the person is there but isn't at the same time.

"Come on, after our experiences you should have expected that things would get complicated. Nothing ends up easy for us," Doc said. "And we heard about the Sith problem you seem to have. Satele Shan contacted us about and now she is preparing to send some of the Republic troops to this planet. And you can definitely count on us to be there with them." Doc then looked over the other people that were with Danek. "But I see that this isn't a social call. What did you need me?"

"Actually, Akame here is the one who needs your help," Danek said and moved away so Akame could stand in front of Doc's hologram, which felt somewhat weird to her that she was talking to a person that wasn't there.

"Ah, I see," Doc said before putting on a charming smile. "So tell me, gorgeous, what can ol' Doc for you?"

Akame decided to ignore the flirt and go straight to the point. "It's my sister, she is in a desperate need of healing."

"I'm listening," Doc said and they proceeded to fill him in on Kurome's condition. "I see. The situation is quite serious indeed. Such extensive use of performance-enhancing drugs would definitely cause some instabilities of metabolic systems and organ functions. That is a guaranteed way towards eventual death." Doc then put on a smile. "Lucky for you, you're talking the best and most handsome doctor in the galaxy. I'll cook up some medicine and proper treatment in no time."

"A bit full of himself, isn't he?" Mine said to Chelsea.

Doc noticed the exchange. "I assure you, it's for a good reason." He turned to Akame. "Trust me Akame, if I can heal a Hutt whose flesh is rotting away then I can treat your sister. You have my word."

While she didn't completely get the comparison she understood and gave him a smile. "Thank you."

"Anytime," Doc said before looking at Danek. "Is there anything else you need of me?"

Danek shook his head. "No, Doc. That's it for now. Until we meet again, may the Force be with you."

"With you as well."

And the transmission ended, making Doc's hologram disappear and the holo device to stop glowing.

"Well… that was weird," Mine commented.

"But the good kind of weird," Chelsea added as she sucked on her lollipop.

"I think that was actually pretty cool," Tatsumi said.

"Very practical," Susanoo said.

"But isn't it strange that we speak the same language?" Mine asked.

"That's what I noticed as well," Danek said. "When master Orgus picked me up he said that he was surprised I was able to understand him. It would appear that the Galactic Basic is the language spoken here."

"That's… quite interesting actually," Chelsea said. "Do you know of any reason why?"

"I'm honestly not sure." He had several theories about what the reason was. He was sure that it had something to do with the Sith, especially since Darth Nox came here. He felt the Dark Side energies within the creatures, similar to the Sith creatures he fought on a number of occasions.

Still, there was no time to ponder on that. "Alright, no more lollygagging," Danek said. "Time for training to resume."

* * *

It was late afternoon when the training was finished and the members of Night Raid ended up groaning in pain and exhaustion, except for Susanoo who still looked indifferent.

"Man, why did I get to train so hard, I don't even fight" Chelsea complained as she could feel sweat and cramps on her body. "'No chances taken'," she said in an imitation of Danek's voice.

"Ugh, you're telling me!" Mine exclaimed in frustration. "I'll have to bathe for over an hour with how sweaty I am!"

"Well now you know how I felt when you were driving me to train," Tatsumi said.

"Oh be quiet, you!" Mine said while pointing at him, only for the soreness in her arm to come back force. "Ow, ow, ow! God damn it, it hurts!"

Tatsumi and Chelsea couldn't stop themselves from laughing.

"Well, all of you did reasonably well today," Danek said while wiping some sweat on his forehead. He may have been the strongest but even he had his limits. "Let's hope we prove to be just as fruitful in the upcoming days."

"You'll kill us sooner than the Empire will," Mine said before walking away.

Najenda then walked into the training ground and looked over her team, seeing they were a bit roughed up. She smiled before taking a drag of smoke from her cigarette and approached Danek.

"So, how's the training going?" she asked.

"So far, so good. I'll try to prepare them the best I can," Danek said as he looked at the retreating forms of the team except for Susanoo who walked next to his master's side.

"Will they be ready?" she asked as she took another drag of smoke.

"If I'm being honest, I'm not sure," Danek said. "We don't have too much time to train and there is no way I can make them skyrocket in terms of fighting ability until the next attack. If nothing else, I'll make sure they are better than before, even if it is only a little bit."

Najenda noticed something else as she read the expression on his face. She turned to her Imperial Arm. "It's alright, Susanoo. You can go and rest," she and he nodded before walking away. "Something else is bothering you, isn't it?"

Danek gave a sigh. "It's about Tatsumi," he said. "The boy is a great fighter, but way too emotional. And considering that the Tyrant is his Imperial Arm is making me all the more concerned. The weapon is fueled by rage, and if he gets too angry the Tyrant will absorb him and be revived."

"So what you are saying is that he shouldn't participate in the coming battle?"

"No, that's not it. That wouldn't be practical," Danek said. "I'm just concerned that it might go out of our control. I tried to get Tatsumi to control himself but his emotions get the best of him." He then rubbed his face. "I just can't teach him to control his emotions while also preparing him for battle. I could increase the training regimen but even I know that going overboard isn't wise."

He then sat down on the ground and sighed deeply, his staff put next to him. Najenda joined him as well.

"What's wrong?" she put a hand on his shoulder.

"This… all of this… all that happened to me… sometimes I'm not sure if this was my calling," Danek said. "I was trained as a Jedi, taught to be a diplomat first and a warrior second, to preserve peace as much as I could. But most of my time as a Jedi I spent on battlefields, fighting soldiers and Sith, stopping who knows how many conflicts by the lightsaber. I led troops, fought warmongers, and while I was a diplomat here and there many times I resorted to violence."

That was an unfortunate truth. While he was able to resolve some conflicts without being violent, like the time he convinced fellow padawans against taking revenge and even redeemed some Sith Lords, he still went through bodies of soldiers and warriors to achieve many of his goals.

It seemed contradictory to what he was taught a Jedi was.

"Danek," she began. "You should know that nothing in this world, or even in the universe is perfect. I know what you're going through, I also questioned my place in the world as well. Once I rebelled against the Empire I was forced to kill people who trusted me, and even some friends who supported me throughout my time as a general. I wondered why I was doing this, wasn't my purpose to get rid of the Empire's corruption only to end up killing people I cared about? It didn't seem right to me for a while."

"But then you decided that some things are needed despite what we think of them," he finished.

Najenda smiled. "Correct. I guess you didn't need reminding."

"No, I didn't. But it's still appreciated," Danek said with a smile. "However, the truth is that I'm a warrior. I was raised as a warrior, and my Jedi career reflected that. The reason I'm such a hero in the eyes of the people is because of my achievements as a warrior, not as a diplomat. It's more or less in my nature to fight, which seems a bit counterintuitive if you're supposed to be in the order that promotes pacifism."

"Let me ask you something," she said. "Do you fight because you want to, or because you have to?"

He stared at her for a few moments, as such a question surprisingly never came up in his mind.

"Well, it's because I have to."

"That's the difference. Peace isn't achieved by sitting idly by, you _have_ to fight for it. Once peace is achieved, you can go and begin your life without conflict. That's what I plan to do anyways."

Danek chuckled at that. "That's really nice to hear. Thank you." It actually did make sense, despite how much he wanted it to be different. But if he could achieve peace then his purpose as a Jedi would be realized. "Oh, and, Najenda, your cigarette is out."

That caused Najednda to look at it and saw that it was indeed out. "Ugh, damn it," she said before throwing it away. "Well, I suppose my lungs will live for a few minutes longer."

"Oh, trust me, when this planet eventually joins the Republic lung cancer will be a thing of the past."

Najenda then looked at him almost mesmerized before laughing. "Sometimes I forget you've come from space."

"Well, since you helped me brighten up let me give you a reward," he said before pulling Najenda in a surprise kiss which lasted for a few moments before retreating.

"You know," Najenda said after getting over the shock of the kiss. "That rewards felt kind of underwhelming."

"Oh, underwhelming? Well, let's see about that."

He kissed her again, this time with more intensity, which the one-eyed woman returned with equal vigor. The exchange lasted for several moments before Danek decided to use his tongue, licking Najenda on the teeth which allowed him entrance and Najenda to use her own tongue as well.

The intense make-out session continued for a while as their appendages wrestled and saliva being exchanged. They took a moment to gasp for air before resuming, wrapping their arms around each other to get their bodies closer, Danek even bringing her on his lap without breaking their connection.

After a few minutes, they broke the kiss, their faces separating with only a string of saliva connecting them before it broke.

"Is that better?" he asked.

"It was satisfactory, for now," she answered. "Did you enjoy it too?"

"I have, even though the taste of smoke was in your mouth," he said with a grin, with her laughing at the jest.

"Well, I guess I'll make sure it doesn't go up in smoke next time," she joked causing both of them to laugh.

"If only the others were here. I'd love to see their reactions to our puns," Danek said. Sometimes it was fun having some people cringe at the jokes.

"True, even if they don't find them _punny_." That got another round of laughter from them. "Still, I have a favor to ask." She said before rising up. "Would you mind training with me while we still have some sun left."

Danek rose up as well. "So, you also plan on fighting?"

"I don't usually fight, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared," she said before getting into a battle stance. "I hope you know how to fight hand-to-hand."

"Oh, I know," he said as he got into his own battle stance. "And you're about to find out just how well I can."

* * *

**AN: And that is it for now. Now I know that this chapter ended similarly to the previous one, with Danek and Najedna talking about some things bothering them only for them to sort it out, but I wanted to have some more character interactions between them and this just felt like it would go naturally. **

**And I have to be honest with you. A lot of you suggested how the upcoming conflict would go, and all those ideas are very good, but I'm afraid you'll end up disappointed. I know this may seem like a spoiler but I wanted to clear things out. You see, I don't want to overuse the Republic or the Sith Empire too much, I already feel that Loten and Danek already caused enough of a stir within the story and everything else would be overkill and would undermine the crossover element of this story. So yes, they will be involved just not in the way you think. I'm sorry if some of you are disappointed to hear this but I thought I needed to say this. I hope you understand.**

**Well, don't forget to check out my other stories, you won't regret it. And leave a review, they are motivational.**

**See you next time!**


	17. 16 Save Our Darkness

A Look to the Past

**AN: Hello there, dear readers! Well, this one didn't take too long to finish. I guess when you're stuck inside you certainly have time to write. **

**Now to reviews.**

**Guest: Wow. You have a really brutal imagination. But I can't guarantee that it will happen.**

**keybladelight: Ok, I said it before and I'll say it again. The Disney canon doesn't exist in this story, especially since it's taking place in the Legends continuity. And I hate the Disney movies with a passion so there is no way I'm including them in the story. **

**Dracus6: I find it a bit funny about who you suggest for Danek and Loten, especially since Danek had a huge makeout session with Najenda.**

**A Star Wars Fan: I don't really agree. You see, while what the Jedi are doing can be considered morally questionable, they are still doing it with the right purpose in mind and they have protected the Republic and its people for thousands of years. And it's not like they are brainwashed, they certainly do form bonds and sometimes familial connections. Plus, they are free to leave if they aren't interested in being in the Jedi Order anymore.**

**Lonewanderer: The way I see it, the Revolutionary Army cared for the Imperial Arms so much because they needed them to fight against the Empire, the more they had the better their chances were. After they finish I doubt they would care as much about the Imperial Arms if they were offered help from the Republic.**

**blazenite104: You'll have to wait and see for how it will turn out.**

**PoofyOhio and ReyZero: I decided to respond to you both since you both say the same thing. You see, the Empire took children so they could turn them into killers and tools for the Empire that were disposed of once they stop being useful. The Jedi, on the other hand, train them to become protectors of peace and justice, and they promote pacifism and treat those children like people. And while there are some who become emotionally distant, we see a lot of Jedi with their own personalities and characteristics. So no, it isn't the same at all. And your point about Loten doesn't make sense. First, he wasn't taken in as a child but well into his teenage years and on the verge of adulthood. And second, sure, he cares about Leone but that is only because he knew her from before, he couldn't give a damn about anyone else. True, what the Jedi do is questionable but the Sith are the people who generally don't have a problem with planetary genocide. I'm pretty sure that's a lot worse than training children to be keepers of the peace.**

* * *

16 Save Our Darkness

Esdeath stood at a table, full in her general attire. Her eyes were closed in concentration, her face slightly strained as she put her hand out. She took a calm breath and stood there for several moments. Right below her hand, lying on the table was a silver fork which slowly began twitching.

Loten stood at the side with arms crossed as he watched Esdeath try to levitate the object. She requested that he begin training her in how to use the Force, quite adamantly at that. While he would normally punish such acts, he considered having her train and become a powerful ally in the future, and potentially a Sith.

However, there was a single problem, one they had for a while now.

The fork twitched violently, before slowly rising from the table. Esdeath's face was now more strained and a bead of sweat went down her face, her hand beginning to shake. The fork made it up several more centimeters before Esdeath gasped and the fork fell unceremoniously back on the table.

"Damn it! Why isn't it working?!" she angrily asked.

Loten gave a sigh of disappointment. No matter how much they tried, Esdeath seemed to be incapable of using the Force with any efficiency. They've been at it for a while now, and Esdeath didn't improve much. Those few centimeters were the best she could do.

And it wasn't because of her lack of Force potential. He took some of her blood for a test to be sure and her midi-chlorian count was quite high. Not the most used method as people with Force sensitivity are just taken for Sith training and whether they survive or not proved their worth, but this time his study of the ancient Sith and their own works with midi-chlorians made him want to test it.

Still, while he proved her potential to be quite high, the results of the training weren't as satisfying.

Esdeath groaned in frustration as she glared at the fork like it was an enemy. "What am I doing wrong?" she asked before turning to Loten. "Why won't this work? Is there something I'm missing?"

"No, you're not doing anything wrong," Loten said. The statement was true, she had the right amount of concentration and focus to draw upon the Force, even to the point where a simple novice would have no trouble. "In fact, you should have been able to do this easily," he said before reaching with his hand and making the fork levitate to it before grabbing it. "But I think I know why you're struggling. It's because of your Imperial Arm."

That made Esdeath look at him confused. He approached her and began to elaborate. "You see, the Imperial Arms already work by drawing upon the Dark Side of the Force, which means you're already using it when you use yours. However, it seems that in order to achieve that effect it also compromises your connection to the Force." He threw the fork back on the table making it bounce slightly. "It more or less makes you unable to use it regularly, trading it for your manipulation of ice."

Loten wasn't sure if that was an oversight on his ancestors' side, a mistake they wanted to rectify later with further experiments or deliberate design. Either way, that presented a problem for any Imperial Arm users, especially those whose physicality is augmented by the Imperial Arms as they would have trouble using the Force as well.

"So what you're saying is… I won't be able to actually use the Force like you or Danek?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Loten said before turning around. "Now if you excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

"Wait! Is there no way to fix that problem?" Esdeath asked.

Without stopping his walk or turning around he replied. "Unless you want me to completely purge the Demon's Extract from you then I can't do anything if even that ends up working. Training you like this is only a waste of time." When he reached the door, he turned towards her. "And you should watch your tone when you speak to me. I outrank you, and I'm not a weakling you can intimidate. So in the future, you better refrain from speaking like that."

Esdeath looked at him shocked as he usually had a more respectful tone with her, and due to the fact that nobody would dare talk to her like that otherwise, they would suffer a slow and painful death. But she knew that Loten was right, she couldn't intimidate him as he was more powerful than she was, that was for certain.

She sighed before giving a slight bow. "I'm sorry for my behavior, I'll make sure it doesn't repeat," she said with a voice laced with respect.

"Good," Loten said before exiting the room.

As he walked, he heard a loud crash coming from there, obviously showing that Esdeath was angry. He would have to concern himself with that later, right now he needed to focus on other things. With the way the things were developing they just might end up losing, especially if Danek Partas was on the side of the Revolutionary Army. He and his apprentices together may stand a chance but if he decided to finish them quickly Loten would find himself going up against the Jedi alone again. In other words, too big of a risk and too small of a reward.

He needed to finish his work on the Emperor's Imperial Arm, the only way he can ensure his victory. The problem was he wasn't sure if it will be ready in time. The help from the Imperial Fleet is also very unlikely considering they would have to face the Republic forces before arriving on the planet. And if they defeat them it might be too late.

* * *

Esdeath sat on one of the chairs, her hands clasping her head with the arms supported on her thighs. Right now she was so frustrated that she wanted to tear her hair out, and with the way she was gripping it that just might end up a reality.

She couldn't believe her bad luck. Just when she had an opportunity to become more powerful, it turned out that the strength she received from the Demon's Extract is now preventing her from getting it. Essentially, making her powerful while holding her back at the same time. If that wasn't ironic then she didn't know what was.

Her conversation with her mother came back to her, how Esdeath vowed to her that she would become more powerful than her brother. She could already hear her mother berating her for how that turned out.

"Having a bad day?" Esdeath heard someone say and raised her head to see that it was that alien woman, Ashara if she wasn't mistaken. "Though, I suppose that's a redundant question considering the state of this place."

Ashara looked over the destruction in the room. The table was split in two, half of the chairs were reduced to pieces, and several vases were broken with dirt littering the floor.

"What do you want?" Esdeath asked with a slight edge in her voice.

"Well, I heard the commotion and decided to check it out. And I saw my master walk away from her so I assume he had something to do with it. Wouldn't be surprised, he's good at causing commotions."

"It doesn't matter now. You go mind your own business," Esdeath said, the tone of her showing she was still frustrated.

"I have a solution for letting off some steam," Ashara said. "Why don't we spar?"

* * *

Loten arrived at the door of his office and opened it, and he was surprised to find that someone was inside. It was that blond woman from Syura's group, Dorothea. She seemed to be looking over some of his books.

"Hmm, wonder what these are doing here," she said.

Loten coughed loudly making her turn around quickly before she got a surprised look the moment she saw who it was.

"O-oh, greetings, my lord! How may I be of service?" she asked with a small bow.

"You can tell me what you're doing in my office."

She looked around the room surprised. "Your office? But the Prime Minister's office is in a different part of the palace. This office belonged to Dr. Stylish. I was sent here by Syura since I admire the man's work."

"I requested a special office from the Emperor where I could do research in peace. But I suppose you didn't know so there's no trouble," he said. "Even so, what would you need from Stylish's work?"

Loten knew who Stylish was, a doctor that was experimenting with Danger Beasts and humans and enhancing their features and abilities. In Loten's opinion, it was a shame he died, he could probably have been of use considering his expertise.

"Well, I'm a scientist myself, and I also know how to experiment with Danger Beasts and I thought that maybe I could look over some of his notes."

Now that piqued Loten's interest. Perhaps something could be done with that.

"Oh, really? Tell me, would you be able to make some _special_ soldiers for the Empire?"

Dorothea's expression brightened up when he said that. "You have something in mind, my lord?"

"Not anything specific, but I do have some means for which-"

Loten stopped talking as his eyes suddenly widened slightly. His expression then turned into a frown.

Now Dorothea looked worried as his expression suddenly changed like that.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"You'll have to excuse me. Another matter came up," he said before quickly turning and walking away.

* * *

Leone sat there in her cell, busy counting the tiles for the hundredth time. She still couldn't believe that the boy she knew from long ago with those innocent green eyes was the man that visited her not too long ago. He wasn't like anything she remembered, seeming so cruel and… cold.

She was also worried about her comrades. The only thing she heard was that the Revolutionary Army troops have retreated but not much else. The guards only came here to give her some food, not to talk about what happened. She didn't know if anyone died besides Lubbock, she really hoped not. While death is to be expected in their line of work, it doesn't mean anyone looks forward to it. It was bad enough they lost Sheele and Bulat, and now Lubbock.

Her ears then picked up some footsteps heading her way. It shouldn't be someone sending her food since she received it an hour ago. Her deduction proved right when she saw a man appear in front of the cell door. He was dressed in some strange revealing outfit made of black leather and his tongue was sticking out.

"So, it was true," he said. "Leone of Night Raid is a prisoner here."

Leone's golden eyes narrowed at the man. "Who are you? Did Loten send you here?"

"The name's Enshin, and no, I wanted to come here because I heard that we had you," he said before actually licking his lips with his tongue. "And just looking at you makes it hard for me to just stay put."

Leone snarled at that remark. She should have figured some scum would get some ideas.

Enshin took a key and unlocked the door, making Leone go into a battle stance. "If you think that you'll just be able to get me, you're wrong."

Enshin chuckled with a mad look on his face before palming the sword on his belt. "Good, resist," he said before walking inside. "It'll just make it more enjoyable for me once I-"

He suddenly stopped as his eyes widened. Enshin then grabbed his head and screamed in pain, making Leone look at him in surprise and shock. Then he began to float, further shocking her. The scene looked like something out of those horror genres she read.

Then Enshin's head began to inflate until it burst in a shower of gore and blood, with Leone's instincts kicking in as her arms moved upward to shield her head, but she didn't feel anything hit her. She removed her arms from her face and saw the headless body of Enshin lying on the ground with blood spilling out of what remained on his neck. Leone also noticed that the splatter of blood on the floor had a straight line which made it seem like there was an invisible wall stopping it from reaching her.

She then noticed someone else standing at the door and much to her shock it was Loten, who stood there glaring Enshin's corpse with his menacing yellow eyes, the eyes that still made Leone feel unsettled.

"Come with me," he told her. "I won't keep you here anymore."

"L-Loten, why are you-?"

"Just come with me." His tone made it clear that it wasn't a suggestion. "I'll have someone clean this mess later."

Leone cast one last glance at the corpse before walking around it, with Loten gesturing her to follow. They got out of the dungeons and passed by a nervous guard, but then Loten stopped before turning towards that guard.

"You let him inside, didn't you?" Loten asked before turning towards the guard, the tension rising with each second as the guard began to sweat.

Leone didn't like where this was going.

"Um… yes, sir," the guard answered.

"Is that so? And what were my orders? Oh yes, not to let anyone in without my permission." This time Loten's voice revealed more anger.

The guard swallowed the spit gathering in his mouth. "Well, he came with the permission of lord Syura-"

"Syura isn't a lord!" Loten interrupted, not bothering to hide his frustration.

Leone then gently grabbed Loten by the arm. "Loten, that's enough. Let's just-"

"I'm sorry, but I can't let this go unpunished," Loten said. "Now, as I said before, you disobeyed a direct order from me. So I'll have to take appropriate measures."

Before the guard could speak up he was met with a blast of Force Lightning causing him to scream in pain and wriggle uncontrollably.

"Loten, stop this!" Leone demanded.

He gave a smirk at that. "As you wish," Loten said before stopping his attack. The guard stood still for a brief moment with his body smoking from the attack before he fell down on the floor.

Leone was about to lean down but was stopped when Loten grabbed her by the shoulder. "Don't bother, he's dead," he said before turning around. "Now come, we wasted enough time here."

They soon abandoned the lower levels of the palace and continued walking up until Loten took a turn for a specific hallway, with Leone wondering what he was planning. The servants gave them a glance but nothing else.

Leone tried to give some of them a wave and a friendly smile, which also tried to serve as a comfort to herself, but they just went on with their business.

Loten then stopped at one of the doors and opened it, motioning for Leone to enter. She did just that and saw that it was just a normal room. She was honestly even more confused than before.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked.

"This is where you'll be staying," he answered.

"Are you serious?" she asked bewildered. "You take me out of the dungeon into a fancy room?"

"I don't want you to be in those dungeons, so I decided to give you something comfortable."

"I don't think you can just have your prisoners stay in such luxury," she said as she crossed her arms.

Loten smirked. "No, but I have enough authority here to make sure that things go the way I wish."

Leone's face cringed at that statement. This was the attitude that the nobles of this corrupt Empire had. To hear it from Loten hurt her soul.

"Even still, you can't just wander around the palace, so you'll be confined here," he said.

"What's stopping me from escaping?"

Loten chuckled. "You can't. The floor we are on is really high in the palace, so escaping through the balcony is useless unless you plan on falling to your death, and getting through all the guards in the palace will be harder to pass without Lionel." After ha said that, Xalek appeared next to him. "And I'll have my apprentice here guard you while I'm gone."

He then walked next to her and whispered in her ear. "And I'm constantly keeping my senses on you. It wasn't I coincidence I came to the dungeons back then." He then retracted and gave her a calming smile. "Don't worry. As long as you're under my watch nothing will happen to you."

He then left the room and closed the door. Leone could hear the lock turn and she sighed. She walked over the bed and sprawled on it.

If things were different she would find the situation extremely flattering, but knowing what her friend, once boyfriend has become still lingered in her mind. He obviously still cared for her so that at least hasn't changed, but he wore a new face despite it looking the same. While she killed people before, in quite a gruesome manner at that, the fact that it was done by that boy who normally wouldn't hurt a fly didn't sit well with her, especially since he apparently took pleasure from it.

Leone gave a deep sigh. She needed to get through to him somehow, convince him to stop, and come back to the way he was before. But that wasn't going to be easy it seems.

She gave a small sniff and could tell that the alien was there. It appeared that some of Lionel's traits were still left despite Leone no longer having it, as she figured out when she could smell the man giving her food in the cell when he wasn't actually close.

She rose up from the bed and walked to the balcony. It was nice that she actually had fresh air compared to the dungeon. She looked down at the beautiful city below. It was a shame that such beauty hid such ugliness as well.

Leone once again sighed, deciding to wait for Loten to come back and hopefully get him to come to his senses.

* * *

Syura was traversing through the palace. After his ordeal with Loten he took his anger out on several whores he found in the city and got rid of their bodies soon after his business. He couldn't believe just how things went south for him. Instead of his father now he had to deal with someone who seemed to have a good amount of power, not just political but physical. Making an assassination attempt on him would be far more complicated.

He also squandered Syura's plans of having the Wild Hunt team he made to be a police force for the city where they would root out rebels, in reality also an excuse to murder and violate, and as well as put Budo on his watch.

He needed to formulate some sort of plan to get rid of this nuisance and-

His train of thought was interrupted when he felt a familiar sensation of an invisible force wrapping around his neck. Syura's hand went to his throat as he was being lifted off the ground and turned around to face Loten who looked angry with his hand outstretched.

"You know, you're a real nuisance," Loten said as he began slowly approaching. "Sending your lackeys at my prisoners isn't smart, and it could get you killed. And I'm sure those are the last things on your mind."

Syura managed to growl something out. "So, the Night Raid bitch is-"

Loten intensified the hold making the man shut up. "Yes, she is my prisoner, and I'll do with her as I wish. So keep your distance," he said before releasing the hold and letting the man fall down. "Just to remind you, you aren't the son of Prime Minister, you are a soldier. Normally I would kill you but you may have your uses in the future fight. Too bad your little buddy didn't share the same fate." Loten then turned around. "Now go and grovel away to do whatever, I couldn't care less. Just try not to trip up next time."

Syura glared at the retreating form of the Darth, now even angrier after this humiliation. He was determined to get rid of him even more than before.

* * *

Esdeath and Ashara were intertwined in an exchange of punches and kicks. Not too long after hearing what Ashara proposed, they arrived at one of the training grounds in the palace, with Ashara proposing that they don't use their weapons or abilities and keep it a purely physical battle.

The two women were out of their usual clothes, instead opting to wear shorts and sports bras that showed off their athletic bodies so they would be less inconvenienced doing such sparring. Their movements were swift, so much so that no ordinary person could see.

While purely physical combat wasn't the usual choice for the togruta, she was pretty skilled in it. Esdeath, on the other hand, was a natural, and fighting her was quite a challenge.

Esdeath jumped over a sweeping kick and positioned her leg for an axe kick while she was in the air. Ashara moved out of the way as Esdeath's heel connected to the ground with such force it caused it to crack.

Then the ice user immediately dashed at the alien woman and sent a flurry of fast punches which Ashara blocked or deflected away, but not with enough time to give a counter-attack.

Esdeath smirked the whole time. This was just what she needed. A good fight. After all that time of feeling down the sudden rush of adrenaline and the excitement she felt actually made her feel better.

She was also impressed by Ashara's hand-to-hand skills, though she was still a better fighter when it came to that. Even so, for Danek's apprentice to last as long against Esdeath as she did was a notable feat.

They separated to regain their breath, with Ashara's breathing more labored than Esdeath's. Ashara found that impressive considering that togrutas had a physical edge over humans but this situation seemed to be reverse.

"You are quite strong indeed," Esdeath said. "I can safely call you a worthy opponent."

"Heh, thanks," Ashara said as her breathing calmed. "But I think we should stop here."

"Giving up already?" Esdeath asked disappointed as this fight was actually getting more exciting the more it went on.

Ashara wiped the sweat off her head. "Look, this is just sparring, not an actual fight. Just something to brighten your mood." She walked over to the side and picked up a towel to wipe the rest of the sweat from her body. "Did it work?"

"Well, it did brighten my mood so I suppose it did," Esdeath said with a shrug.

Ashara smirked before throwing Esdeath a towel. "Well, I find sparring a very good way of letting anger out. You never tried it?"

"Not many people can keep up with me," Esdeath answered as she wiped the sweat off. "I usually just go into battles. That's what gives me the excitement I need. That and torture."

"As certain someone I know," Ashara mumbled under her breath. "At least I made you feel better."

"That makes me wonder. Why did you do that?"

Ashara shrugged. "I guess I just saw your distress and wanted to help."

Esdeath raised an eyebrow. "Really? Considering who you're with I wouldn't think you were that type of person."

"Well I was a Jedi, still consider myself to be one actually," Ashara said.

"A Jedi? You mean like Danek is?"

The togruta nodded. "Yes, like master Danek is," she said with a hint of respect in her voice which Esdeath didn't fail to notice.

"Then why follow a Sith?"

"Didn't have much of a choice after what happened. I assisted Loten after my previous masters didn't want to listen to him and tried to kill him, so thanks to me they were dead. The Jedi Order wouldn't have accepted me after that."

"I'm surprised that you don't consider yourself a Sith."

"I still hold the principles of the Jedi in my heart. I can't fully commit to Sith teachings. And I will try to change the Sith Empire for the better, however I can."

Esdeath found that kind of thinking peculiar. "Does Loten know about that?"

"He does. We spoke about it many times."

"And he still keeps you around despite that."

"Yes, he does. We have our differences in philosophy but even Loten knows that some things in the Empire need to change. Like the stigma against aliens it has."

Esdeath wasn't sure if she understood that. An alien Empire having a problem with aliens? Though now that she thought about it what she found alien doesn't mean that they would. And from what she saw in the Dark Council most of them were human, except for the one who was a Sith pureblood as Loten explained so they were probably an exception.

"Well, in any case," Esdeath said before turning away. "Thanks for this Ashara. I hope we spar again sometime."

"Glad I could help. Oh, and Esdeath," she said making the general stop. "If nothing else, I do hope that you and your brother come to terms."

Esdeath's lip twitched, not knowing how to respond to that. She honestly didn't think she could get along with her brother, but she appreciated the sentiment that came from the alien woman so she just nodded and walked away.

* * *

It was evening as Loten approached the room where he left Leone. He could still sense her presence in there so he knew she didn't escape.

After schooling Syura, he had a little discussion with Dorothea, who turned out to be quite a genius. Her expertise in the Danger Beast biology was quite fascinating. It looked like she could be of help in the upcoming fight. How much he wasn't sure, but he isn't going to reject extra assistance.

He looked at Xalek who stood next to the door with his arms crossed, still looking vigilant as ever.

"Has she tried to escape?" Loten asked.

"No, master," Xalek answered. "She never attempted."

Loten wasn't all that surprised to hear that. He knew that she was smart enough not to make any unreasonable decisions.

"Fine then. You can leave," Loten said to which Xalek nodded and walked away.

The dark lord opened the door and entered, seeing that Leone way lying on the bed with her hands behind her head.

Loten smiled at her. "I see that you're comfortable."

Leone turned her gaze toward him. "Yeah, but at least could have left me a book. There isn't much to do here."

Loten couldn't help but laugh, glad that she didn't lose her humor. He closed and locked the door before approaching her and sitting on the bed. Leone, curious at what he was trying to do, sat up beside him.

"Tell me, Leone," Loten began. "Have your opinions on me changed?"

Leone frowned. "No, they didn't. I still think that what you're doing is wrong. You aren't the same person I knew."

"The same goes for me. You weren't an assassin the last time I saw you."

Leone turned away from him. "I do what I do because it's right, to end the corruption plaguing this Empire and its people. The corruption that you seem to embrace with open arms."

Loten sighed and shook his head. "Oh, how naïve you are. Things are never that simple. And should you really complain? I'm abusing my position to stop you from living in a dungeon and being executed or tortured."

"Oh, you care about the wellbeing of a single person the others can go to hell," she said. "How kind of you. I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up killing more of my friends."

"They are fine for now, Leone. Though, I'm not sure how long if they plan another attack on the capital."

Hearing what he said made Leone feel relieved, knowing that no one else died in that attack. She would have sighed in relief but restrained herself.

Loten then put his arm around her waist, making her slightly jolt in surprise. Her face turned back to his and she saw the comforting look he had in his yellow eyes.

"Listen, whatever you think I've become, it doesn't change that I was the one from your past. I sat alongside you gazing at the stars. I'm the same young man you comforted with your presence. I'm the man who had his shining star right next to him all those nights before."

The more she heard him speak the calmer she felt, once again seeing the kind person he was. His own presence seemed warm now.

Loten removed the gloves he wore and put his hand on her cheek, wanting to actually feel her smooth skin. "And the feelings of that man haven't changed." He closed the distance between them and engaged in a kiss, making Leone's eyes go wide.

He pulled her close as he began to increase the intensity of the lip lock, and Leone couldn't resist as she returned the kiss with equal vigor. Her arms soon found themselves wrapped around him as he leaned her body more into his, any worries she had completely forgotten.

They lasted for several more moments before Leone's eyes widened as she realized what she was doing before pulling back away from him.

"No, I'm sorry, we can't do this," she said.

Loten looked at her confused. "Leone, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? We're enemies! I shouldn't be screwing around with an enemy."

"That doesn't matter right now," he said before grasping her hands gently. "Listen, I don't think of you as an assassin of Night Raid. And you shouldn't think of me as the leader of the Empire. Please, just come back to one of those nights and think nothing else."

Leone wanted to do that, she really did, but it wasn't as easy as Loten made it out to be. She couldn't just forget what he was, what he did. But she promised herself that she would try to change him, bring him back to the way he used to be. Perhaps… this was one of the ways to do it.

Leone clenched her eyes shut for a moment before once again looking at the slave boy that once took her heart. She then once again embraced and kissed him with him doing the same. She could feel his relief as she did this, his body language betraying that he was afraid of her rejection, showing that he made himself vulnerable in this situation.

One of his hands retracted to his cloak before he broke their kiss and tossed the cloak away. He resumed their passionate kiss, as Leone went for the long-sleeved black shirt he wore. Loten had a lot more clothes than her so he needed most work.

Her hands grabbed the bottom of his shirt and he assisted in taking it off. Leone was met by the sight of his toned upper body, and she also saw over a dozen scars made by either cuts or burns and some looked like bites. He removed her white sleeves and threw them to the side before completely leaning into her as they resumed. All other articles of clothing were thrown on the floor as the two physically and emotionally joined for at least this single night.

* * *

**AN: Well, that's it for now. I hope that you were satisfied with the chapter. We got some character development and plots being crafted in secret.**

**And I implore you that you check my other stories. You won't be disappointed. And leave a review, they are great motivators.**

**See you next time!**


	18. 17 Save Our Histories

A Look to the Past

**AN: Hello there, my dear readers! I hope I didn't have you wait too long for this. So I hope that you enjoy this new installment in A Look to the Past.**

**Now to reviews.**

**keybladelight: I'm not really planning on having them have visions of the future.**

**And I won't do that. Bane got inspired by Revan for the Rule of Two, and I won't take that spotlight off him.**

**Lonewanderer: I thank you very much for your input and I'm glad you like the characters. You'll have to see later how the events will unfold.**

**PoofyOhio: You act like he said something unforgivable. I'm surprised you wouldn't want to slap Loten for all the evil things he did and plans to do. Pretty sure he deserves it more.**

**RayZero: You may call them excuses, but the results are there. Everyone had their justifications for what they do, and despite how flawed the Jedi are, they are on the side of justice and it shows with their protection of the Republic and of the innocent. So they definitely aren't comparable to a bunch of genocidal maniacs like the Sith.**

**A Star Wars Fan: He keeps Syura just so he has some more people to fight against his enemies. You'll have to wait and see where Esdeath will end up.**

**And yeah, I don't like Mine and Tatsumi couple either, it just doesn't work. And I can't tell who he will end up with just yet.**

**And I think that the Triumvirate would probably be victorious if it came to that.**

**SCP Insurgency: I totally see where you're coming from, but you have to see that that is just how the Jedi would react. They aren't willing to risk having Dark Side objects corrupt anyone. True some would be very useful, but even Imperial Arms like the Grand Chariot works thanks to emotions, and you know Jedi philosophy on those. And they wouldn't exterminate the Danger Beasts, that would take too much time, just keep people from making Imperial Arms. Plus, Imperial Arms only work with people who are compatible, and if those turn out to be Force-sensitive that that would be a big No-No for them.**

**Guest: All those questions will be answered in the story.**

**Guest(2): Right now.**

* * *

17 Save Our Histories

Leone's golden eyes slowly fluttered open as she stirred in the bed she was lying on. Noticing the complete change in comfort compared to the last few days her mind worked to connect what happened.

Rubbing her eyes, she noticed the room she was in was darkened, with the dark blue curtains covering the windows and ensuring light didn't disturb her.

Her memories of yesterday resurfaced, how her friend, if he can be referred as such now, Loten got her out of prison, brought her to a new room, went out for a moment before coming back and… Leone's eyes widened in realization.

She noticed that she wasn't wearing anything under the pure white sheets covering her, which wouldn't be an unusual thing since she slept nude from time to time, but remembering what happened just made her feel… strange. She remembered joking to Tatsumi about the time he was trapped on an isolated island with Esdeath, but here she was, in a bed after sleeping with a man who was pretty much an enemy of the people she held dear.

It honestly felt somewhat poetic.

But looking around, she saw that she was alone in the room, so Loten probably left some time ago. She noticed that her clothes were on the chair next to her so she got up and got herself dressed.

Then she saw something on a small wooden table, a piece of paper. Picking it up, she saw something written on it.

_Leone,_

_I apologize for not being able to spend more time with you, but I have other things to do. Unlike Honest, I do my responsibilities with at least more competence and actual ability. And unfortunately, it means that your arrest is still in place, at least for the time being. I arranged for meals to be delivered to your room by some servants. I hope your favorites remained the same._

_And please, don't cause any trouble, it's completely unnecessary and it won't get you anywhere. When this entire situation is finished, I promise to make it up to you a hundred, no a thousand-fold. We will live the free life we wanted from before but on even a grander scale._

_I'm not sure when I'll be able to visit you, but I'll try to make time._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Loten Kallig_

The moment she finished reading it, Leone began feeling conflicted again. She could practically feel the sincerity in the words that were written. The care which he had shown her, a glimpse of what he was before and what he meant to her, they were there.

But… he was an enemy. She wasn't supposed to feel for the enemy. Personal attachments shouldn't hinder your mission, that's what she was told when she joined Night Raid.

Though that's probably an easy thing to say if you don't really have anyone on the other side to care about. After Loten died, what she thought at the time, she didn't really have anyone special connected to the enemy, but not he WAS the enemy.

She envied Akame for her determination to end her sister, just so she wouldn't have these thoughts.

Leone's teeth grit, both from anger, confusion, and sadness. She wasn't sure what to do. Normally the choice would be easy, but despite how Loten acted right now, he was still the person she cared about. And seeing him be so protective of her, not to mention her remembering his touch from last night, it was anything but an easy choice.

She sat back on the bed, her head hanging slightly as she gripped the letter and crumpled it. Just a few days ago, this dilemma would be non-existent. And she wasn't sure if this should be a dilemma now. Loten worked for the enemy, it's because of him that Lubbock was killed. She shouldn't feel conflicted yet she was.

So she just sat there, with heavy thoughts on her mind, as some sliver of light entered the room through the closed curtain.

* * *

Wave stood in front of Kurome's room, pondering if he should be doing this. After everything that happened he thought that maybe he could help her in some way, seeing how she was acting.

Making up his mind, he put his hand up and knocked on the door.

"Kurome, are you there?" he asked. After several moments of silence, he repeated the process. "Kurome, can I come in?"

"What do you want, Wave?" she asked.

"Just to talk," he answered.

Several more moments of silence followed.

"Come in."

Smiling, Wave entered the room and saw Kurome sitting on the bed. His smile dropped when he saw that she was still clutching Yatsufusa as if her life depended on it.

"Kurome…"

"Stop, I know what you want to say," Kurome said as her grip tightened. "But I can't just let it go. That moment when I lost it made me feel such despair. I just can't shake it off."

Wave then approached her sat next to her on the bed. "Please, Kurome, you can't continue like this."

Kurome shook her head. "I'm so sorry. But this is too important to me. I want to have my sister back, I miss her so much. Yatsufusa is the only thing that can make it happen and I can't lose it again. You have to understand, nothing else matters to me."

Wave turned his head away as he bit his lower lip. Hearing those words was beginning to break his heart as well. Her mindset wasn't in the right place, and when the next battle comes she will probably be one of the first people on the frontlines so she could get to Akame as quickly as she could.

And she would be among the first to be cut down, puppets or no puppets.

Wave's hands clenched at the thought. He wouldn't let that happen, ever. He would give his own life to ensure she was safe.

"Kurome," he said before looking at her straight in her dark eyes, making her look back curiously. He then gently grasped her hands. "I'm sorry." Then out of nowhere, he quickly wrenched Yatsufusa out of her hands and threw it on the floor.

Kurome's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "Wave, no!" she then quickly went for the sword but Wave grabbed her by the arm. She forgot the fact that he was supposed to be physically strong so the grasp made her gasp.

"Wave, what are you doing?!" she asked as she tried to pry him off.

Wave's blue bangs obscured his eyes for a moment, making him seem somewhat menacing. "I can't let you be like this Kurome. It isn't good for you, and it will only get you killed." His eyes were then revealed with a fiery determination. "And I won't let that happen."

Then in an even more surprising move, he pulled her towards him and quickly kissed her on the lips. Kurome couldn't properly process what was going on. After several minutes of this intense make-out session, Kurome moved away, flabbergasted by what just happened.

"W-Wave, what a-are you-?"

Wave didn't give her much time to speak before pulling her close. "I won't hide it. Not anymore."

He resumed kissing her, wrapping his hands around her, and pressing their bodies together. Kurome's mind was going a thousand kilometers per hour. Here was Wave, the fish boy, the country bumpkin, and the lighthearted one of their group kissing her with such roughness. It almost made her afraid.

Kurome was further shocked when he parted for breath, only to immediately resume and this time use his own tongue. The dark-eyed girl began to feel uncomfortable with all of this and went to push him away but he seemingly didn't notice. Then she could feel one his hands move away from her waist and under her shirt and grabbing unto her breast.

With a huge amount of strength that even surprised her, she pushed the young man off of her making him fall on the bed with a grunt.

"Wave! Why… why are you doing this?!" she asked with nervousness in her voice, with her arms wrapped around her.

Wave looked at her with his eyes wide, as if only now realizing what he was doing. "Oh dear gods, Kurome, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he said frantically. "I didn't realize you weren't enjoying it. I just- I don't know what came over me." He looked just about ready to shed a tear. "I'm sorry. You said… you said that only your sister mattered. But… but I wanted to also be the one who mattered. I wanted you to have someone else so that you wouldn't just chase after Akame and get yourself killed!" This time, he actually did shed a tear. "And I meant every word I said. You mean much to me Kurome. I don't want you to die. And I don't want to die before I can confess." He wiped his eyes before rising up.

He then turned to her for a moment. "But I messed up, didn't I? I'm so sorry, Kurome."

And he immediately left her room, leaving the shocked Kurome to look at the open door for a while. Her mind seemed to still be in a confused state. So Wave just confessed his love to her and wanted to… sleep with her?

Besides her sister, nobody showed her that much affection, and Wave even seemed to surpass that. The concern of his voice, the passion of his touch, that need to protect her by holding her close. She remembered Akame sometimes holding her tight because she was afraid of losing her, and Kurome could feel that same intent with Wave.

And to see him get so emotional… it hurt to see it. The hurt in Akame's eyes when Kurome said she wasn't joining her in leaving the Empire, Wave also had a similar heartbroken look.

Kurome glanced at her sword, having the need to once again hold it, but not as intensely as she once did.

* * *

It was middle of the night as Loten appeared from the lower levels of the palace, with some perspiration dripping down his forehead before he wiped it away and sighing. His progress on the Imperial Arm was almost complete. It just needed a few more finishing touches.

The battle is to come soon, he could feel it and he wanted to be prepared. His trump card would ensure victory over the Jedi Master that threw a huge wrench in his plans.

But right now he needed to stop momentarily. He decided to spend some of his time with study. Perhaps he could learn more about his family and what they were doing on this planet.

So he soon found himself in the library, trying to look anything on the history that began a thousand years ago. Reading through several books, he only found the information he already knew which frustrated him. There should be something about his family. How can Sith be pretty much unnoticed on this planet?

_"__Something troubles you, son of my sons,"_ Loten heard the voice of his ancestor say before he turned to meet the apparition.

"I'm trying to find out just what was the involvement of my family. Maybe there is something I can learn from it," Loten explained.

The ghost of the ancient Kallig rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. _"Perhaps there is a way I can be of assistance,"_ he said gaining his descendant's curiosity. _"I was able to feel something within this very palace. Something from an ancient time, sometime after my family moved to this planet."_

"Where exactly?"

_"__The artifact is located behind the Emperor's throne,"_ Aloysius Kallig said making Loten raise an eyebrow. _"It would seem that it was hidden and stashed away there from the prying eyes. I'm sure that it will make the picture clearer for you."_

The ancient Sith Lord then disappeared as he did before, leaving Loten alone.

A secret located behind the Emperor's throne? Talk about hiding right under your nose.

Loten then put all the books away and left the library. Entering the throneroom, he looked to see if the room was empty. The Emperor should currently be sleeping now so nobody was there.

He walked up to the throne and began examining it. Was there some sort of secret compartment, a button, or a switch of some kind? Finding nothing, he wondered if he should just move the throne.

Calling on the Force, the throne began sliding to the right, revealing, and actual opening behind it. Loten then entered the opening and moved the throne back to its previous position with the Force.

The place he was in was completely dark, but that was a minor problem and easily rectifiable. He put his hand up, and using the Force to manipulate the oxygen molecules, made some fire hover over his hand which lighted the way.

Pyrokinesis wasn't the most utilized of Force abilities but Loten thought that it might come in handy in some situations.

The Dark councilman saw that he was located in some sort of stone hallway, with tiles neatly put together in a well-organized fashion. And quite old considering how much dust and cobwebs were there.

Loten began walking through the dusty hallway but cringed when he felt come cobwebs stick to his hair. He decided to use his Force powers to push the dust out of his way, and give him a clearer path.

The walk wasn't that long before he reached the singular room that the hallway was leading towards. Brightening the flame, he saw that it was a room with a wooden table that was broken in several places, a crumpled-up wood pieced of what he assumed was a chair. Walking closer, noticed an ink container on the floor and picked it up, seeing that the ink was completely dry.

What was this place? Some sort of sanctuary? Maybe it was used so that some people could just be by themselves.

He saw something beneath the table. Moving it away, he saw that it was some sort of wooden box, in a better condition than you would think. He opened the top and saw two interesting things, a leather-bound book and… a red square holocron.

Loten's hand immediately went for the holocron, still sensing a great concentration of Dark Side energy in it. He pocketed the holocron before moving to the book. He opened it and saw the text was still readable, though written in a different language.

Not caring for anything else here, he left the room and whatever remained here.

* * *

Loten found himself back at the library and spent a good portion of the night deciphering the contents of the book. After a little while, he found that this book was actually a journal, belonging to none other than the first Emperor of this Empire, Mykan.

The moment Loten found that out, his determination to translate what was written increased, his curiosity not allowing him to just stop.

What he found was interesting.

_It was the twenty-first of the eleventh month that this war was finally over. My new Empire has finally started, and I'm ready to accept all of its responsibilities as the Emperor. Emperor Mykan I. Not sure if that sounds catchy or just strange._

_My wife also recently gave birth to my first child, a son. Heh, looks like I already have an heir for my throne. You would think that making your own Empire would be the time when you feel the greatest, but trust me, nothing beats seeing your newborn child and your wife holding it. Milah and Joor, the greatest treasures in the entire world._

The next several pages were of more personal nature, but things started to get interesting for Loten.

_Thirteenth day of the fifth month as I'm writing this. I just can't believe how it went so downhill. Seven years after I began my rule, and now I have to deal with these… creatures that suddenly began infesting the land. I don't know what exactly happened, when did these beasts just appear from nowhere?_

_They seemed to be normal animals but were stronger, quite a few times they were bigger, and not to mention very hostile. They began terrorizing my lands and I was forced to act. Several battalions suffered heavy losses in trying to kill these things._

_And to make things even worse, it would seem that the neighboring kingdoms are planning on attacking my Empire. They didn't think highly of me to begin with, and are now seeking for an opportunity when my forces were weak from these attacks. _

_Goodness sakes, my daughter's birthday is coming up, and I don't want these negative thoughts weighing on me._

After a few more pages, Loten finally got to the part he was waiting for.

_It's the seventh day of the first month, and I can't believe my luck. After two years of combating these 'Danger Beasts' as people began calling them, I found myself an ally in a man named Delius and his family. He seemed to be a very powerful and knowledgeable warrior, and he and his family were able to effectively fight the Danger Beasts._

_They wielded some incredible abilities, something I can only describe as magic. Moving things with their minds and using lightning, it was simply incredible. They showed up on one of the battlefields that I personally attended and offered me their service against those creatures. They proved themselves to me pretty quickly._

_They explained that they from the lands located Far East, and were forced to leave after a betrayal. Delius is also traveling with his wife and son, so I can only imagine how painful for them this is. But after what they showed, they are more than welcome in my Empire._

So this is where his ancestors came in. They made a direct alliance with the First Emperor when they offered to help him take care of the Danger Beasts.

He was about to read further, but then something else came to mind. He took out the holocron from his pocket and began to activate it. A small hologram of a man appeared. He had short dark hair, black eyes, and he was dressed in a traditional Sith robe.

_"__This is the journal of lord Delius Kallig, Entry One,"_ the hologram spoke, anger evident in his voice. _"That cursed Tulak Hord betrayed us, he stabbed my father in the back and went after us. Of course, he could never take Aloysius Kalling in a fight. My brothers, sisters, cousins, dead at the hands of Tulak Hord and his followers."_

_"__I took whoever I could. My pregnant wife, two of my sons and daughters, the rest are dead. We were forced to flee to the Unknown Regions and landed on this primitive planet away from both the Republic and the Sith Empire. And with no advanced technology to fix our ship we are stranded here."_

_"__But we won't give up. I don't care if takes decades, or centuries, we are going to have our revenge. We will prepare, and we will endure. The illustrious family of Kallig won't be put down so easily. Tulak Hord shall feel our wrath."_

This was most interesting indeed. So that is what one of his ancestors looked like. So far what Aloysius Kallig told him matched what he was seeing.

_"__Journal Entry Four: We were able to experiment on the local animals of this planet. The artifacts that we were able to salvage were of great help. The creatures are now far stronger, more vicious. Right now, we need a simple test run from them."_

_"__Journal Entry Six: Today we were able to test some of the sea-dwelling life of this planet. Though it would seem that these mantas can't really be considered sea creatures anymore with their ability to fly and survive in the surface."_

_"__However, our resources are dwindling. Our experimentations can't continue at the rate we are currently at. We won't be able to have any enhanced soldiers if our experiments aren't continued."_

_"__Journal Entry Sixteen: It would seem that our creatures caused quite a stir among the local populace. They are currently fighting back against them. But I see an opportunity for this. The Emperor of this Empire here is in dire need of help with how much trouble our creations cause. I can't wait to show them just how effective we are against them."_

As fascinating as that was, seeing how his ancestor was accomplishing all these things, Loten decided to check the journal again, to see how Emperor Mykan would react.

_It is the eighth day of the fourth month. Six years after I met my friend Delius, he and his family were of great help. Their ability to fight Danger Beasts and their part in stopping the neighboring kingdoms was impressive. And I can't thank them enough for that._

_Recently, they were able to successfully capture a particularly powerful Danger Beast, Tyrant as it was called, they requested to bring the most brilliant minds in my Empire to help in some project they had._

_After a while, I found out what their project was. They were turning Tyrant into a weapon, a special armor that increases the physical power of the wearer by manifold. Delius offered the armor to me, seeing that I was compatible with it._

_The power I felt was incredible, it was as if I could take on an entire army by myself. I was also able to stand against Delius himself. He said he might be able to make more of these weapons, which were dubbed Imperial Arms, so we could properly protect the Empire. It fills my heart with joy to have someone like him as a friend._

_And it would seem that we would be connected in more than just friendship. I saw how my daughter and his youngest son look at each other. Pretty sure he does too. I'm sure those two wouldn't be opposed to the arranged marriage but I want them to come to the marriage part themselves. Don't want their parents to interfere with it. Man, I'm starting to feel old._

So this is where the Imperial Arms first appeared. And it would seem that the Incursio was the first one, and wielded by Emperor Mykan no less.

Loten then turned back to the holocron.

_"__Journal Entry Eighty-Five: Things are going better than expected. That fool Mykan is still under the impression that the two of us are friends. Such a fool. But his resources were more than valuable."_

_"__We were able to create a weapon from the Tyrant, an incredibly powerful armor that would put many Force users to shame. This was a success, and it will only continue. With Mykan's resources and us secretly breeding Danger Beast, we won't have a shortage of experimental material anytime soon."_

_"__Journal Entry Hundred Twenty: After years of experimentation, we were able to acquire forty-eight Imperial Arms. I had one specially made for Mykan and anyone in his family, further proof of our 'friendship'. That one took longer than most but it was worth it. And with each weapon we gain we are closer to enacting our revenge."_

And the journal entries stopped there. Loten looked further but there was nothing else. Was Delius killed before he could record any more?

Loten turned to the Emperor's journal for answers.

_Words cannot describe the sadness I feel. Delius, a friend that I trusted for years, a man who helped me through the most trying times, has betrayed me. I found out that he was manipulating me all these years._

_It appeared that he and his family were the ones behind all of it. They pretended to be our friends, and used the Empire's resources to further their own gain. These weapons they made for me were secretly so they could end up using them in some sort of revenge scheme against the people who drove them away._

_Delius and I ended up fighting, and I would have been killed, but his youngest son Karrus betrayed him and killed him. It would seem that he didn't agree with what his family was doing and how they were manipulating us. The rest of his family fled, presumably westward but I'm not sure. Karrus stayed behind, and despite the assist, I had to punish him with how much damage he helped cause. Because he helped I eased the sentence to life in prison._

_But sometime later I found his cell empty, and my daughter, my sweet Mayla was also gone. Many people panicked, thought that he kidnapped her, but I knew better. Those two were in love, and Mayla knew that I wouldn't approve of her feelings for him, so she helped him escape. _

_I can only hope that the two of them are safe and that they live peacefully._

_But I still need to remain focused on my duties. And my other children need me. Despite the betrayal, the weapons created by the Kalligs are invaluable and will be great help in the prosperity of this Empire. _

_I also found this strange device that belonged to Delius. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm not risking my family coming to contact with it so I'll hide it away. _

_I really need rest now. After everything that happened, a man can only take so much._

Loten stopped reading. So that's how it went down. Lord Delius' son ended up betraying him, which led to his family being driven away from the Empire and deprived of their revenge. And eventually, their bloodline ended up in slavery.

He wasn't sure if he should feel angry or impressed with Karrus for betraying his family because of love, but then again, if things didn't turn out the way they did, he wouldn't exist. Not to mention he succeeded in returning their families honor.

He decided that he had enough and picked up the two objects before heading to his sleeping quarters. After reading all that, he also felt like he needed a rest.

* * *

**AN: And that's it for now! We got to see character interaction, and we got an origin story of how the Sith fit into this world. Hope I didn't make it too boring.**

**For those who may ask, yes, it is possible to control and create fire with the Force, it has been done before in the Star Wars lore. In the EU, at the very least.**

**And I implore you to check out my other stories, they're worth it. And leave a review, they are great motivators.**

**See you next time!**


	19. 18 Save Our Future

A Look to the Past

**AN: Hello, my dear readers! After so long, I finally upload another chapter for this story. And it's a pretty short one, so sorry for that, but I just felt that this would be a good length for this chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

**Now to reviews.**

**keybladelight: I'm pretty sure I made it obvious that he was listening to the recordings of his Sith ancestors.**

**PoofyOhio: I'm sorry you see Danek that way. I really don't see where he displayed the 'might makes right' mindset. If you're thinking about his fight with Esdeath then I'm sorry to say that's not really proof considering that was his only option. And how did he give the impression that he ignores the hypocrisy and corruption? Whatever ideology the Jedi and the Republic have it's better than the genocidal Sith Empire.**

**While I do like how you see Loten, you missed his mindset. You see, his reasons for doing this are completely selfish. He wants more knowledge, he wants more power, and he doesn't care about the people of the Empire or even the planet. The only reason why he stabilized the situation was because it was getting in his way. It's not really much for the benefit of the Empire, as much as making himself stronger within the Empire.**

**And to answer your question, the one who is born good. The one who is born good and doesn't do evil is better than the one who did evil only for later to become good since he did damage when he was evil while the good person did none. If your question was, which is a more interesting character, well that honestly depends on your preference.**

**I'm not exactly sure you can describe anything so far that Loten did as 'good'. Sure, he acts nice to Leone but that's because they were a couple in the past. And he still keeps her prisoner.**

**A Star Wars Fan: Thank you for such praise.**

**Guest: XD**

**Guest(2): The Jedi Order aren't really stupid as much as they are overly careful when it comes to Dark Side. I know their views on emotions aren't perfect but that makes them more interesting instead of just being pure good.**

**Guest(3): They're all dead. They are honestly nothing more than a waste of space so I got rid of them.**

**Guest(4): You'll have to wait and see.**

* * *

18 Save Our Future

At the Revolutionary Army HQ, Danek was kneeling down on the floor of the armory, holding Murasame in his hands. His left hand held the hilt, the blade pointing at the ground, while his right robotic one held a whetstone which he dragged on the surface of the blade.

The Imperial Arm needed some good sharpening, especially after what it went through. He offered to help since he had a prosthetic arm so the risk of getting a cut and being poisoned was minimal.

After several more strokes with the whetstone, he put it away before picking up the sheath and sheathing the sword. He got up and walked over to Akame who was sitting not too far away from him.

"All done," Danek said as he handed her the sword which she accepted.

"Thank you for your help," she said as she put Murasame back to her hip.

Danek gave her a smile. "You're welcome," he said before putting up his prosthetic arm. "Quite handy these things, aren't they?"

Akame just watched him stone-faced while Danek frowned. "I guess I should to that at reaction at this point."

"You and boss don't have a humorous bone in your body," Akame said bluntly while Danek just waved away the comment.

Najenda then walked over and gave a cough to get their attention. "We have a very special guest coming, and I'd like for you two to come and meet him."

The two of them nodded before they followed Najenda out of the armory and to the meeting room. Everyone else from Night Raid was also there, along with Lorag.

Danek noticed one person in particular who stood out among the group. He was a tall and slender man with long white hair and purple eyes. His clothing consisted of a white robe with a red cape, making him look like some sort of priest, a golden circlet on his head and necklace around his neck.

The man looked at Danek and smiled before bowing in his direction. "It is such a great honor to meet you, Hero of the North," he spoke in a calm and soothing tone.

Danek bowed back in response. "It is an honor to meet you as well."

"Danek," Najenda said as she gestured towards the robed man. "This man is known as Lord, the leader of the Path of Peace religion. They are also a great help to the Revolutionary Army, gathering people to rebel against the Empire's tyranny."

"Please, no need for formalities. Call me Anua," Lord, now Anua, said. "And we were even more successful in no small part thanks to you. Your defeat of Esdeath rallied even more people to our cause. You showed that the Empire and their corruption isn't invincible, easing their fears." He once again gave a bow, but a deeper one this time. "I cannot properly express my gratitude or the gratitude of my followers."

"Please, rise," Danek said. "I was only what I needed to do."

"Powerful and humble," Anua said, still smiling. "Such a combination is very rare in the world. You might truly be a gift sent to us by the gods."

Danek gave a dismissive wave. "I'm just a man doing his duty, no need to deify me."

"Ok, enough humble-off," Lorag said. "Lord Anua here told us that the people are once again ready to join us. Our failure at the initial attack left us with some heavy losses but if with the Hero of the North backing us we should have recovered our previous strength while the Empire doesn't have that luxury." He then looked Danek in the eyes. "Are you still with us, son?" Normally that answer would be obvious, but they were so close to victory that he needed reassurance.

Danek gave a nod. "All the way through," he said which made Najenda smile.

Lorag gave a hard pat on Danek's back. "Excellent! I knew you wouldn't let us down!"

Anua then turned to the other members of Night Raid. "My apologies, I didn't thank all of you as well for helping us."

Akame gave a bow. "We live to serve."

Mine flicked some of her hair and smirked. "Though, we do hope to be properly rewarded in the end."

"Mine, what's the matter with you! Don't say that's the reason we're doing this!" Tatsumi chastised her. He didn't want Mine to give them the impression that they were doing this for money.

The pink-haired girl crossed her arms in frustration. "I'm not doing this for free! It's only natural to expect payment for the work you did!"

Anua chuckled. "It's alright. It's perfectly understandable that you want your good deeds rewarded. And they are definitely going to be," he said in a reassuring tone. "And I have to say, the threads of Fate are entangled between you two." Tatsumi and Mine looked at Anua in confusion which he noticed so he elaborated. "One of my abilities is to see the future, and I see you two in that future, both happy and together." He then spread his arms. "So please, don't hesitate and confess your love for each other!"

That got both Tatsumi and Mine's faces red as a tomato as their faces got looks of embarrassment.

"What are you talking about?!" Mine exclaimed before pointing at Tatsumi. "There is no way I'm marrying some like him!"

"And I definitely don't want to be with someone so obnoxious!" Tatsumi proclaimed.

Anua just chuckled while Chelsea tried really hard to hold her laughter. The rest looked at the scene amused.

Danek then remembered what Anua said exactly. "You said that you are able to see the future. Is that true?"

Anua turned back to Danek. "Of course. It was one of the gifts I was blessed with."

"Interesting," Danek said. "So you have the ability of premonition."

Anua raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem to be that shocked to hear it," he said. While he wasn't a bragging person by any means, unless people knew about it they usually end up surprised to hear that he could see the future.

"It's not really a new thing for me," Danek said which got everyone else curious as well. "You see, the Jedi, an order that I am a part of, learn to harness the energy of the universe, and to some, it even gives visions of the future. Some of which even I have experienced."

Everyone was surprised to hear this considering that nobody knew that detail about his abilities.

"So you can see the future as well?" Anua asked, very curious about what Danek said.

"Only sometimes, and even then it's not too clear so using for something like a battle would be pointless," Danek explained.

"Remarkable, regardless," Anua said. "To see that other people were blessed with this power is amazing to hear."

Danek nodded though in his mind he was having a different train of thought. Those 'blessings' he spoke of weren't really blessings from what Danek could see. Using the Force to have a better sense of the man, Danek could feel that the man was actually using the Force himself, though he didn't appear to know it.

And Anua felt somewhat strange to him, like something not completely human. In fact, his Force signature seemed to be similar to a… Danger Beast. That somewhat cleared up things for Danek, seeing that his powers came from a Force connection that Danger Beasts had, but it wasn't clear as to how that came to be.

"And I also had another vision," Anua said. "You were involved in it, my friend." The moment he said that everyone perked up to hear what he was about to say. "I also see a string of Fate around you." Anua then looked over to Najenda. "And it is connected to her."

At that moment, Najenda's cigarette fell out of her mouth as she gained a blush on her face from the unexpected prophecy.

"Perhaps you should also profess your love for one another," Anua suggested.

Najenda gave a nervous cough. "Yeah, well… I mean… I-I'm sure that can wait," Najenda stuttered as she looked to the side with her eye.

Danek also had a blush on his face but he didn't comment about the prophecy.

Chelsea leaned over to Akame. "Is it just me or this turning into a matchmaking meeting?" she whispered into red-eyed assassin's ear to which she just shrugged.

* * *

After the meeting was over, Danek stood outside on a rocky cliff of the mountain that hid the Revolutionary Army HQ, his arms crossed as he felt the cool breeze on his face while the wind made his long hair flow.

He took a deep breath before exhaling. Soon, he was once again about to enter a battle. Once again face the Sith. While he was confident he could take him on, he was still worried about what the outcome might end up.

"Hey there," he heard Najenda say behind him before turning to see her stand there with another cigarette in her hand.

"You know, the two of us meeting here alone won't make people any less suspicious about us," Danek joked.

Najenda shrugged before taking a drag out of her cigarette. "Eh, I honestly don't give a shit anymore. They can know that we're having an affair, it doesn't really hurt us either way."

"If you say so."

Najenda walked up next to him. "So, what are you thinking about?"

"The upcoming battle," Danek answered. "I'm still worried about it."

Najenda once again inhaled and exhaled some smoke. "I can't blame you. Anyone would be nervous no matter the situation. In war, anything can happen," she explained before looking up at him. "But don't those prophecies from Anua give you any ease if he did see us in the future?"

Danek sighed. "I wish they did. But if I know anything about visions of the future is that they are not always set in stone. The future has many possibilities, and while people can see one of them, it doesn't mean that possibility is the one that will come to pass. The future is always in motion, and predicting it is hard, even with visions."

"Oh, I see," Najenda said before looking downward at the forest below.

"Tell me," Danek said. "Does Anua know that he is part Danger Beast?"

"So you know. Figures," Najenda said as she took a smoke. "Yes, he does have Danger Beast heritage, which is the reason for the 'blessings'. As for does he know about it, I'm not sure. He probably doesn't."

"Do you plan on telling him?"

Najenda shrugged. "Not sure. I don't really concern myself with such stuff. Maybe the reason nobody tells him is because they fear he might not handle the truth."

"I'm not sure I like such deception."

"Deception is a part of our lives, no matter who we are," Najenda said. "Even you know that."

"I do."

Najenda nodded before taking a smoke again.

"You know," Danek said. "We may not end up together if you continue smoking."

"As I said before, it calms me."

"Yeah, well," Danek said before turning to her. "I can still do something about it."

Najenda raised an eyebrow at his words, wondering what he was planning. He then lifted his hand and placed it over her chest.

"You know, I don't think this is the proper place for this," Najenda quipped.

Danek chuckled. "Well, it's not what I had in mind so don't worry."

His hand then began glowing light blue as he channeled the Force through it. Najenda only stared at it before feeling some strange warmth within her chest. The sensation within her then became rather pleasant and calming, making her close her eye as Danek continued his administrations.

The pleasantness continued, making Najenda give a light moan. Whatever he was doing made her feel… better, energized.

Then the feeling stopped, and she opened her eye to see a smiling Danek. "What did you do?"

"I used the Force to heal your lungs from the damage caused by the nicotine in your cigarette," he explained.

"Really?" Najenda asked with a wide eye. "Maybe you can continue doing that so I can smoke as much as I want."

"Hey, don't abuse your position like that. I'll end up dead with how much that effort would drain me."

Both of them laughed.

"Still, that was very nice of you to do," she said.

"I'm not much of a healer, but I can do something like that."

There was a brief moment of silence between them before Najenda dropped her cigarette and stepped on it. Danek then leaned down and Najenda wrapped her arms around his neck as they met for a kiss.

Then they were interrupted by a forced cough. They separated and saw Lorag standing there.

"Look, I'd hate to interrupt, but there are still preparations for us to do, and I'd appreciate it if you two helped."

Najenda groaned. "Couldn't you have waited a few more seconds," she said while rubbing her head in annoyance. "Let's go," she told Danek to which he nodded.

Once Najenda walked through the entrance leading to the base, Danek's hand was grabbed by Lorag, stopping him and getting his attention.

When Lorag saw that Najenda was a good enough distance away he turned to Danek. "Listen, you must be really special if Najenda decided to have a relationship with you during the conflict, despite how she told me she wouldn't. She is a good woman, one I knew when she was still young. Please, don't break her heart; she suffered enough of that as it is."

Danek stayed silent for a moment before answering. "I won't. I promise."

Lorag smiled and nodded. "That's all I wanted to hear."

The two then entered the base.

* * *

Izou groaned before he opened his eyes, seeing a huge light above him. Feeling himself laying on something hard, he tried moving his arms but felt they were held back by something. He tried moving his legs and got the same result as before. It would seem that he someone bound him so he couldn't move.

"What the hell is going on?" he looked to the side and saw that he was in a lab of some sort. Then he noticed his colleague Chomper there, also waking up and bound to a table.

"Wh-what?" Chomper said before looking at Izou. "Hey what's going on, why are we here?" He then tried to move but saw his limbs bound as he struggled against the metal restraints. "What the fuck is this?!"

"Oh, you two are awake," they heard a familiar voice and saw Dorothea, who was dressed in a lab coat, walking between their tables. "I guess I didn't give you enough drugs, you should have stayed unconscious longer. I'm impressed by your resilience. No matter, that will benefit me in the end."

"Hey, what is the meaning of this?!" Chomper demanded angrily.

Dorothea smiled. "You see, our Prime Minister gave me permission to do certain experiments. And I needed some test subjects and lord Loten suggested some members of the Wild Hunt considering our use as a police force was unnecessary. So, I picked you two."

Chomper glared at her. "You crazy bitch!" he yelled as he struggled against his restraints. "Release us!"

Izou's eyes narrowed as his teeth grit. "Why isn't Cosmina here?"

"Because I like her," Dorothea said. "You two, not so much. Now then." She then took out the Holocron given to her by Loten as she grinned evilly, showing her fangs. "Let the experiments begin."

The two looked at her nervously. They were completely at the mercy of Dorothea and considering what she is capable of creating, they definitely weren't looking forward to whatever she had in store for them.

* * *

**AN: And that is it for now! Yeah, I know, that chapter was pretty short and for some not really worth the wait but I hope you got some enjoyment out of it.**

**And I know that I made my views about the Tatsumi and Mine relationship pretty clear, but please bear with me for a moment about that. As for the name Anua, it's just something I made up because he is only known as The Lord and has no actual name. Hell, we didn't know the names of other characters before they were revealed by the author much later. So if The Lord gets an actual name later, then what the hell, I had no idea but I'm not just calling him The Lord.**

**I also implore you to check out my other stories, they worth a read. And leave a review, they are great motivators.**

**See you next time!**


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